Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Truckers' Freedom Convoy sets out from B.C.

Hundreds of truckers headed to Ottawa in 'Freedom Rally' convoy against vaccine mandate | CBC News:

January 23, 2022 - "Hundreds of truckers set off from British Columbia to Ottawa on Sunday to protest a federal vaccine mandate despite the urging of the country's largest trucking federation to comply. The protest has been dubbed the 'Freedom Rally' against the federal mandate for cross-border truckers, which went into effect on Jan. 15. Canadian truck drivers now need to be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a two-week quarantine and pre-arrival molecular test for COVID-19 before crossing into Canada. The Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Associations say up to 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers who make regular trips across the Canada-U.S. border are likely to be sidelined as a result of the vaccine mandate.

"'The goal is we're going to get [to Ottawa by next weekend] and demand these mandates get stopped,' said rally attendee Candace Hill. Hill was speaking from Delta, B.C., where supporters and truckers had gathered Sunday before setting off on their cross-country trip. The convoy is scheduled to meet up with another that left from Prince George, B.C., in Calgary on Sunday night. But the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), a federation of the country's carriers, owner-operators and industry suppliers, released a statement on Saturday strongly disapproving of the protest. "
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/freedom-rally-bc-jan-23-1.6324942

Cross-country truckers convoy departs B.C. for Ottawa to protest vaccine mandate | Driving.ca - Courtney Greenberg:

January 24, 2022 - "The first leg of the convoy, dubbed  The Convoy For Freedom 2022, is set ... to arrive in Ottawa on Jan. 29, where truckers from other provinces will join.... B.C. truck driver Colin Valentim ... will lead the B.C. leg of the convoy taking the western route and expects to be accompanied by others along the way. Two other convoys have different starting points: The eastern route is to begin on Jan. 27 in Enfield, Nova Scotia. The southern route will leave on the same day from Windsor, Ont. A Go Fund Me page for the cause has raised more than $560,000 to help with food, lodgings and fuel for the truckers."
Read more: https://driving.ca/auto-news/local-content/cross-country-truckers-convoy-departs-b-c-for-ottawa-to-protest-vaccine-mandate

Recap of Day 2 of the Truckers for Freedom Convoy across Canada | True North - Harrison Faulkner

January 24, 2022 - "Today was the second official day of the Truckers for Freedom Convoy 2022 across Canada to protest vaccine mandates, forced vaccines and other heavy-handed government restrictions. Truckers in the West made their way through Alberta today and are expected to be in Saskatchewan by Tuesday.... 

"Supporters lined the roads in Kamloops as the convoy passed through the city.... Early this morning, a large group of truckers on their way to Calgary were spotted outside of Edmonton.... In Windsor, Ontario near the Canada-US border, trucks joined the convoy and were seen doing a slow-roll. 

"Canadian author Jordan Peterson retweeted news that approximately 500,000 Canadian truckers will descend on Ottawa Saturday. He warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he’s in for 'a very bad week.'

"Asked twice today about whether or not he supports the trucker convoy and if he will meet with the truckers when they arrive in Ottawa on Saturday, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole refused to answer both questions definitively and instead encouraged truckers to get vaccinated. Unlike the Conservative leader, Alberta Conservative MP for Bow River Martin Shields publicly supported the truckers. He posted a video on Twitter in support of the convoy, saying “I am in Ottawa awaiting the trucking convoy on its way to the capital' and 'It’s time to get our freedoms back.'

"Dragon’s Den star Brett Wilson called out the legacy media and in particular, CBC, CTV, Global News and Fox News for their lack of coverage of the convoy saying that they have 'no right to ignore' the trucker protest. The GoFundMe in support of the truckers at the time this article was published has reached $3,739,140."
Read more: https://tnc.news/2022/01/24/recap-of-day-2-of-the-truckers-for-freedom-convoy-across-canada1/

Canadian trucker convoy's GoFundMe fundraiser frozen | City News Vancouver - Christopher Reynolds, Canadian Press: 

Jan. 25, 2020 - "GoFundMe has frozen access to the nearly $4.5 million in funds raised by the trucker convoy now wending its way across the country toward Ottawa in a protest against vaccine mandates.... Rachel Hollis, a spokeswoman for the crowdfunding platform, said ... 'Funds will be safely held until the organizer is able to provide the documentation to our team about how funds will be properly distributed.'

"As of Tuesday afternoon, funds were raised from 58,300 donors, according to the GoFundMe page of the 'Freedom Convoy.' Tamara Lich, who is also secretary of the fledgling Western separatist Maverick Party, launched the campaign on Jan. 14. It states that the money will go toward fuel as well as food and lodgings for big-riggers taking part.

"The Canadian Trucking Alliance, which has denounced the convoy protest, says more than 85 per cent of the 120,000 Canadian truck drivers who regularly traverse the border are vaccinated, but that up to 16,000 may be sidelined due to the new restriction, exacerbating supply chain problems.... Last Saturday the U.S. barred unvaccinated Canadian drivers from entering the country, mirroring Canada’s border filter for American truckers.

"In a Twitter thread Monday showing pictures of depleted grocery store shelves, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he was 'on the phone with U.S. governors' that morning who share his concerns. He said he is was working on a joint letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to end the dual vaccine mandates.

"Reese Evans, general manager of Evans Trucking, said 14 of his 36 drivers who typically haul lumber across the Alberta-Montana border are unvaccinated — and largely out of commission following the vaccine mandate. His outfit donated $5,000 to the campaign. 'When are they going to stop to realize that you’ve got to stop screwing with people’s livelihoods,' he said."
Read more: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/01/25/canada-trucker-convoy-gofundme-frozen/

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