Anti-carbon tax protest planned for Monday could snarl holiday traffic

Gas prices were around 148.9 cents per litre at Calgary gas stations on March 7, 2024. (CTV News)

Not only will gas in Alberta be more expensive Monday, but you might get stuck in traffic trying to make it to the gas station.

A national anti-carbon tax rally is scheduled to take place Monday morning starting at 8 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 22 near Cochrane.

The protest is being staged by a group that calls itself the Nationwide Protest Against Carbon Tax.

Protests are scheduled at a variety of locations across the country, including Highway 16 near Lloydminster and Battleford, in Sparwood B.C., and Cypress County, Alberta.

On its website, the group says its mission is “Immediate removal of the carbon tax, without replacement by any other form of taxation.”

The mission is to “organize interprovincial border strikes across Canada, starting April 1^st at 8 a.m.”

They added that they hope to maintain at least one centre lane open for traffic, and to continue the event until goals are achieved, “regardless of duration.”

“This is a peaceful event aimed at uniting Canadians for a common cause,” it says on the website. “We will be holding the line indefinitely until our mission objective is achieved.”

CTV News has reached out to the RCMP for any possible traffic advisories or detours.

We’ve also reached out to the event organizers for comment.