'People are fed up': convoy of trucks converges on Ottawa as police prepare for thousands on Parliament Hill
A convoy of hundreds of fed-up Canadian truckers are driving cross-country, heading for the nation’s capital to deliver a message that's raising millions of dollars from donors around the world.
The ‘Freedom Convoy 2022’ movement is pushing for an end to a cross border vaccine mandate implemented by both the federal government and the U.S. administration.
Organizers say it is also calling for the end of all mandates for the vaccine.
“This is about mandating freedom,” said organizer Tamara Lich in a Facebook video.
“This is about making sure our children and our grandchildren live in a free country.”
A crowd-funding campaign has raised nearly $6 million in funds from around the globe, with close to $1 million being raised daily.
‘Families for Choice,’ a Calgary-based group advocating for families to choose whether to vaccinate their children or not contributed $3,000 to the event.
“We’re two years into this thing, and people are fed up,” said co-founder Cathryn Carruthers.
“They (the truckers) are representing all of us they are giving us a voice and they are taking direct action, something tangible that everybody can get behind, (and) we were absolutely thrilled to get behind that.”
The group started with five mothers in October 2021, with its membership exploding to more than 20,000 families since.
A crowd-funding campaign has raised nearly $6 million in funds from around the globe, with close to $1 million being raised daily.
EROSION OF TRUST
One political scientist says this protest has become bigger than just an anti-vaccine mandate for truckers.
“I do think this is like a prairie fire,” said Christopher Adams.
“When people feel left out of the national arrangement of power we do see uprising.”
The convoy rolled through Manitoba on Tuesday, with the group making its way into Ontario on Wednesday.
Adams believes there has also been an erosion of trust with political leaders, spurring many into action.
“(It’s) an anti-Justin Trudeau government movement,” he said.
“I would be very surprised if one percent of the people part of this convoy or those coming to see the convoy, vote Liberal at all in federal elections.”
Prime Minister Trudeau commented on the convoy Wednesday afternoon, describing them as a "fringe minority."
"The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing do not represent the views of Canadians," Trudeau said, "who have been there for each other who know that following the science, stepping up to protect each other is the best way to continue to ensure our freedoms, our rights,our values as a country."
OTTAWA PREPARES
Ottawa Police Service spoke with city council on Wednesday saying it is preparing security and surveillance plans for the convoy’s ultimate arrival this weekend.
“Our interactions with freedom rally organizers indicate that this will be a significant extremely fluid event that could go on for a prolonged period,” said Inspector Trish Ferguson.
The police chief said the department has already come under siege from counter protesters.
“I can tell you that within the last 24 hours, the Ottawa Police Service received a direct threat from a counter protest source, to the safety of our officers and to the facilities in which our civilian members and officers work in,” said Chief Peter Sloly.
The protest has garnered international attention, with former President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. calling the movement ‘genius.’
“When we push back against the insanity, we can win,” he said to nearly five million Facebook followers.
Ottawa Police said early Wednesday afternoon that they expect to see about 1,000-2,000 people on the ground during the day Saturday, but expected that number to change by the end of the day, with a more firm estimate known on Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.