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
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.