Coutts, Alta., mayor meets with truckers as protest at U.S. border continues
The mayor of a village affected by protesters at Alberta's main United States border crossing says he decided to cross the divide and meet with those who have been disrupting traffic there for nearly a week.
Coutts Mayor Jim Willett says he didn't find anger. Just a sense of waiting.
"I wasn't negotiating or anything else. I just was there to find out if they were as bad as some people have said, and they're certainly not,'' he told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday.
"They're the same guys that I have for neighbours.''
"They're the guy that owns the farm up on the hill, the guy that hauls for the local businesses.''
Trucks and other vehicles began parking on the highway near Coutts last Saturday in solidarity with similar protests in Ottawa and across the country over COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers and broader public health measures.
One blockade, which stranded travellers and truckers for days, became two when a second one appeared further up the highway. Protesters later agreed to open some lanes for traffic and so truckers could haul cargo across the border.
Willett said the protest has polarized his village. About half its 250 residents support the demonstrators and the other half just want them to go away.
Willett, who along with his wife has been harassed at home by protesters, said he was asked several times this week if he had met with any of them, and the answer was always no.
So he went Thursday to a former saloon space where protest leaders have been meeting. He went back Friday to talk to the group again.
Willett said he listened. He just doesn't agree.
Some of the protesters told him they want their freedom. But Willett said they're actually taking away the freedom of people in his village and are costing the economy millions of dollars in cross-border goods.
"It's almost like you're being held hostage.''
Demonstrators have made their point and it's time for them to go, so people who live in Coutts can start to mend their own fences, he said.
"It's really polarizing and ... friendships have been torn up.
"There's people that think I'm a traitor. It may be years before we recover from this.''
Several other protests involving truck and vehicle convoys are planned across the country this weekend.
Willett said anyone thinking about heading to Coutts should reconsider.
"It won't be a good place to be.''
About 80 rigs remained Friday along the highway. The number appeared to be growing farther north near the town of Milk River, where dozens of trucks, farm equipment and SUVs sporting Canadian flags lined the pavement.
Wood was piled near a burning barrel, several portable toilets were lined up, and a generator was providing electricity.
RCMP said traffic was continuing to flow to the border, but travellers were still being asked to avoid the area because of the congestion.
Cpl. Curtis Peters said there was no way to predict when the protest would end, but he understood there was growing frustration.
"I've spoken several times about how this has affected the town of Coutts and the town of Sweetgrass, (Mont.). We continue working toward bringing this to an end."
Peters said he doesn't know what is going to happen nor can he say if police intend to take action.
"I don't have a line in the sand. This is a constant state of evolving evaluation. This changes minute by minute, hour by hour.
"The one thing that does stay consistent throughout is the constant dialogue that we're having.''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.