in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
January 28, 2022
Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's the Rubber Duck
You gotta copy on me, Pig Pen, c'mon?
Ah, yeah, 10-4, Pig Pen, fer shure, fer shure
By golly, it's clean clear to Flag Town, c'mon
Yeah, that's a big 10-4 there, Pig Pen
Yeah, we definitely got the front door, good buddy
Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy
— Convoy by C.W. McCall
BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — Approximately 200 or more supporters lined the streets of Flesherton waving Canadian flags and carrying placards with messages promoting freedom and support for truckers. Much like a Santa Claus parade, it had all the markings of a unifying community event, as neighbours smiled and waved with kids in tow, acknowledging each other's commitment to the affair. Such was the scene that repeated itself in small towns across the region this Friday, January 28 — one of the coldest days of the 2021-22 winter to date.
This segment of a truck convoy left Owen Sound in the morning and travelled down highway 10 through southern Grey County, expected to eventually join up with a growing fleet of protesters making its way across Canada with Ottawa as its destination. Originally, the protest had aimed its sights against new Canadian and US regulations requiring all cross-border truckers to be vaccinated. Dubbed the Freedom Convoy 2022, the group has since expanded its purview. "Our current government is implementing rules and mandates that are destroying the foundation of our businesses, industries and livelihoods," said organizers Tamara Lich and BJ Dichter. In response, they are taking their fight to the doorsteps of the Federal Government in Ottawa and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people.
"Freedom," said Ken Morrison, when asked what the convoy meant to him. The retired welder and his family trekked from Durham to witness the spectacle as it passed through Flesherton. "We're against vaccine mandates, not vaccines," they clarified. The family also expressed their concern for the deteriorating mental health of their teenage nephews who have suffered through school closings as a result of COVID-19 measures. Although many of these pandemic measures have actually been enacted by the provincial, and not the federal government, a sentiment of fatigue with everything COVID-related was apparent among the crowd and seemed to be the overlying message.
In addition to stoking the flames of protest against COVID-19 health measures, the greater movement has raised more than $7 million through GoFundMe.com to aid participating truckers with costs they will incur along their journey. According to the GoFundMe website, funds will be spent to help cover the cost of fuel and assist with food and shelter if needed.
Recent confusion about whether these funds would be held up, prompted a GoFundMe statement to be released on January 25 to say, “We are continuing to work directly with the organizer to gather information about how funds are being distributed.” GoFundMe requires that fundraisers be transparent about the flow of funds and have a clear plan for how those funds will be spent. According to them, this is par for the course. "This is part of our standard process to ensure the protection of all donors. Once a withdrawal plan is provided by the organizer, our team is on standby to safely and quickly deliver the funds." Since then, the release of $1 million to the organizers has been reported.
Also reported by many sources, one of the organizers, Tamara Lich is associated with the Maverick Party, whose desire is to "achieve greater fairness and self-determination for Western Canadians." Further reports say that she served as an organizer for Yellow Vests Canada, and was a regional coordinator for the separatist Western Exit (or 'Wexit') movement in Alberta. According to AntiHate.ca, Lich holds some beliefs normally associated with the far-right. "Lich social media posts from the time show her, in one moment, calling out some hateful rhetoric within the movement, while also posting Islamophobic articles of her own, like conspiracies about the Muslim Brotherhood operating in Canada."
The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), an organization that represents the industry's viewpoint on national and international policies, regulatory and legislative issues that affect trucking, put out the following statement on January 22 with regard to the Convoy:
"The vast majority of the Canadian trucking industry is vaccinated with the overall industry vaccination rate among truck drivers closely mirroring that of the general public. Accordingly, most of our nation’s hard-working truck drivers are continuing to move cross-border and domestic freight to ensure our economy continues to function."
"The CTA does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges. CTA believes such actions – especially those that interfere with public safety – are not how disagreements with government policies should be expressed. Members of the trucking industry who want to publicly express displeasure over government policies can choose to hold an organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill or contact their local MP. What is not acceptable is disrupting the motoring public on highways and commerce at the border."
"The Government of Canada and the United States have now made being vaccinated a requirement to cross the border. This regulation is not changing so, as an industry, we must adapt and comply with this mandate,” said CTA president Stephen Laskowski. “The only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.”
The CTA also addressed labour supply chain issues on January 25, saying, “The Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance both agree that vaccination, used in combination with preventative public health measures, is the most effective tool to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for Canadians, and to protect public health... Moving forward, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the industry at large will continue our shared dialogue on the challenges facing this sector. By working together, we are confident that we can find solutions that will help Canadians and industry alike.”
The CTA represents a broad cross-section of the trucking industry — some 4,500 carriers, owner-operators and industry suppliers.
For convoy routes, dates and times, visit the Action4Canada website. https://action4canada.com/conv...
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