Fundraiser for rally to protest vaccine mandate on truckers exceeds $2M
A movement, called Freedom Convoy 2022, is only a week old but the Alberta organizer of a fundraising campaign to support the event has raised more than $2 million for the effort.
The campaign was started by Tamara Lich, a Medicine Hat woman who says she is in opposition to the federal government's rules and regulations in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the GoFundMe page, the money is expected to go toward the cost of fuel, food and accommodation for the protesters who are participating in the convoy.
Last week, the federal government said it made an error when it claimed it would be exempting Canadian truck drivers from a vaccine mandate rule when it came to crossing the Canada-U.S. border.
Instead, Ottawa said the regulation would be in place for all truck drivers, no matter their country of origin, to combat the spread of the Omicron wave of COVID-19.
Many in the trucking industry protested the move, saying it would negatively impact shipping because of the additional requirement.
Others took their arguments a step further, joining in a movement to drive to the nation's capital to protest on Parliament Hill in person, a move reminiscent of the action taken by truckers that pushed Ottawa to support the oil and gas industry and the construction of pipelines.
The Freedom Convoy 2022 is expected to stop in Calgary on Sunday night and leave for Regina the following day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police inaction moves to centre of Uvalde shooting probe
The actions -- or more notably, the inaction -- of a school district police chief and other law enforcement officers has become the centre of the investigation into this week's shocking school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Putin warns against continued arming of Ukraine; Kremlin claims another city captured
As Russia asserted progress in its goal of seizing the entirety of contested eastern Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin tried Saturday to shake European resolve to punish his country with sanctions and to keep supplying weapons that have supported Ukraine's defence.
Truth tracker: Analyzing the World Economic Forum 'Great Reset' conspiracy theory
The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos was met with justifiable criticisms and unfounded conspiracy theories.
Canada to play for gold at men's hockey worlds after victory over Czechia
Canada and Finland won semifinal games Saturday to set up a third straight gold-medal showdown between the teams at the IIHF world hockey championship.
Woman with disabilities approved for medically assisted death relocated thanks to 'inspiring' support
A 31-year-old disabled Toronto woman who was conditionally approved for a medically assisted death after a fruitless bid for safe housing says her life has been 'changed' by an outpouring of support after telling her story.
Calling social conservatives dinosaurs was 'wrong terminology', says Patrick Brown
Federal Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown says calling social conservatives 'dinosaurs' in a book he wrote about his time in Ontario politics was 'the wrong terminology.'
Hydro Ottawa says goal is to restore power to all customers by the end of the weekend
Hydro Ottawa says the goal is to restore power to "the bulk" of homes and businesses by the end of the weekend as crews enter "the last phase" of restoration efforts.
Remote parts of rural eastern Ontario could wait weeks for power restoration
A Hydro One spokesperson says some people living in remote parts of rural eastern Ontario could be waiting weeks to have power restored after last Saturday’s devastating and deadly storm.
B.C. speedboat driver arrested with 650kg of meth 'feared for his family's safety,' he told U.S. investigators
New details are emerging after a 51-year-old Alberta man was arrested aboard a speedboat that U.S. authorities say was carrying 650 kilograms of methamphetamine between Washington state and British Columbia.