A convoy of truckers is making their way across Ontario to protest the current vaccine mandate for cross-border travel.
The truckers are protesting the end of the vaccine mandate that came into effect on January 15.
It requires truck drivers crossing the border into Canada to be fully vaccinated in order to avoid testing requirements and a two-week quarantine. However, unvaccinated American drivers will be denied entry into the country.
According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), an estimated 12,000 Canadian truckers and thousands more from the U.S. will be unable to work cross-border shipping routes due to the vaccine mandate.
While this protest has gained a lot of attention, the CTA said it does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges.
“[The] CTA believes such actions – especially those that interfere with public safety – are not how disagreement with government policies should be expressed,” read a statement on the CTA website. “Members of the trucking industry who want to publicly express displeasure over government policies can choose to hold an organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill and not disrupt the travelling public.”
In a tweet, Windsor police said they expected the convoy to arrive in Windsor on Sunday and repeatedly travel Huron Church Road until January 26.
Due to Freedom Convoy (protest regarding vaccine mandate), there are pockets of high volume traffic in the area of Huron Church from the roundabout to the Ambassador Bridge. Due to this, expect delays & avoid the area as much as possible. -17170
— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) January 23, 2022
Truck drivers are expected to drive through Chatham-Kent on January 27 around 6 a.m. as they make their way to Ottawa. A post on social media, suggests Chatham-Kent residents will “flood the overpasses and roadways” in support of the truck drivers.
A GoFundMe has raised more than $2 million to support the truckers. Fundraiser organizer Tamara Lich is demanding the government stop all mandates.
My News Today has reached out to the Canadian Trucking Alliance for comment and will update the story.
