An anti-mandate trucker convoy headed to Ottawa made its way through Saskatchewan Monday with hundreds of people stopping in Prince Albert.
The large convoy met at the Co-op Cardlock beside the RCMP detachment north of the city with a variety of vehicles joining in including trucks, vans, cars and RVs.
Prince Albert resident Rick Sproull, who is riding with his nephew Ryan Mihilewicz, said the convoy is meant to protest the COVID-19 mandates that have been implemented by the government and to unite Canadians.
“It’s going to be absolutely huge,” Sproull said. “There’s 36,000 trucks registered throughout the country plus the thousands coming in from the U.S. if they can get across the border. Plus, there’s doctors, nurses, firemen, policemen. The truckers started it, but this is a movement for Canadians. They’ve had enough.”
He explained there is an additional convoy coming from Calgary heading to Regina. The convoy which stopped in Prince Albert stopped in Saskatoon and will meet up with the second group in Regina. He is expecting hundreds of thousands of people in Ottawa.
“It’s going to be the biggest movement Canada has seen probably in my lifetime and it’s all about bringing Canadians together and is it ever doing that,” he said.
Many of the vehicles had posters displayed inside in protest of the government’s COVID-19 mandates. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)He added it doesn’t matter whether you’re vaccinated or not, it’s about ending the mandates.
“Let’s move on. This thing is here to stay, the rest of the world is doing it… Canada is waking up and this is going to be the thing that does it,” he said.
Sproull has been in the trucking industry for 47 years and retired because a mining project he delivered loads to required him to be vaccinated.
He added the mandates have been wrong since day one, even calling it segregation.
CTA against the convoy
The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), which includes the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, said in a statement over the weekend they do not support and strongly disagree with protests on roadways and highways. They added those protests, especially ones that interfere with public safety, is not how disagreements with government mandates should be handled. Those who want to protest should do so by holding a lawful event or by speaking with their local Member of Parliament.
“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 in the statement. “The only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.”
Sproull said in reaction to the statement, the CTA doesn’t understand how big the movement is and once they do, they will backpedal.
“There’s our bureaucrats for us, right? They’re all bought and paid for just like the CBC news is,” Sproull said.
Many vehicles arrived at the Co-op Cardlock just outside of P.A. in protest of the federal governments vaccine mandate on truckers. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)Another member of the convoy, Cody Kuntz, said with everyone involved, the convoy is over 70 kilometres long and hope to have at least 100,000 people in Ottawa when they arrive.
“The truckers have had enough of the mandates that are being put on to them. This is their way of going to Ottawa to talk to the government to hopefully show that the truckers had enough, and they aren’t going to stand with these unlawful mandates,” Kuntz said.
He explained their goal once they arrive is to talk to government officials in power, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to reach a resolution.
“They just want their livelihood back, they want their jobs back, they want their lives back and they’re just hoping that when you have a great number of support and a great group of people that hopefully, they’ll end the mandates on these truckers and hopefully for all Canadians,” he added.
A GoFundMe started for the convoy created on Jan. 14 is now at over $3.4 million, however, Kuntz said the company has put the money on hold and are working on a resolution.
Premier’s comments
Premier Scott Moe said in a media conference Monday the Government of Saskatchewan sees it as an unnecessary mandate for the trucking industry.
“First, the vast majority of our truckers, our transport guys, are vaccinated like the vast majority of the general population,” Moe said.
“We have tools available today in the way of rapid tests that our truckers can use. They didn’t have these tools available to them a year ago either. Thirdly, as important as any of the other topics, this is an essential service. These folks are delivering our food in many cases, to our communities in Saskatchewan and in Canada and they have operated safely throughout this pandemic, long before we had access to vaccines, long before we had many of the tools that are proven to be helpful and effective in our battle against Omicron today.”
When asked if the convoy is an appropriate means of protest, given that many Canadians were dealing with supply chain issues, Moe responded by saying it’s a great question for Prime Minister Trudeau.
“This is their policy that is being reacted to. I would encourage all, in whatever method they are choosing, to ensure they are following all the laws and regulations that are in place, which I’m sure transport drivers are well versed with,” Moe said.
“Is this policy actually going to, in any way, produce any tangible results or is it just going to essentially have a negative result in us not being able to access the goods and services that truckers bring to our communities each and every day, understanding that these individuals are already vaccinated and understanding that they have been operating throughout this pandemic even in the most trying times.”
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-With files from Rob Mahon
Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @IanGustafson12
