On Saturday, January 29, convoys of thousands of Canadian truckers passed through Ontario, Canada, as they headed to Ottawa for a peaceful protest of the mandates affecting Canadian and American truckers who pass over the border for truck deliveries.
A mandate was put in place by both the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden in mid-January. The mandate states that all truckers passing over the US/Canada border must be fully vaccinated to cross, or they are required to quarantine for 14 days. Approximately 200,000 truckers in Canada cross the US border for their route. Although it is estimated that 75% of the truckers are vaccinated, the mandate has created a hardship on many, leading to the protest that took shape in the form of tens of thousands of truckers traveling west to the Parliament where Trudeau resides.
Eleven separate convoys came in from all parts of the country. The longest convoy seen on satellite was 100 miles long. Most were Canadian truckers, but some American truckers joined in. The truckers traveled through frigid temperatures on their journey. It was -45 degrees as they rolled through Regina, Canada, -11 as they approached Ontario, and Ottawa was a mild 10 degrees when they arrived. At stops along their route, hundreds of Canadians and bordering Americans showed support and patriotism to the truckers in the bitter cold. Supportive Canadians provided meals to feed the truckers; children colored pictures and sent cookies.
As the convoy passed through Ontario, a rally was held at the Rainbow Bridge to show support for the truckers. Both Canadians and Americans united in their efforts to show solidarity to the “Freedom Convoy.” The Constitutional Coalition of NYS organized the American side rally. Nancie Orticelli, President of the Western NY chapter, organized the rally and scheduled speakers. She also coordinated efforts with Marcella Piccone, an affiliate with the People’s Party of Canada, for a united event on the Rainbow Bridge. Prior to the Can-American Bridge Rally, Americans from western NY gathered in Niagara Falls, where guest speakers talked about Constitutional freedoms. Constitutional Attorney Jim Ostrowski, History Teacher Ang Bittinger, business owner Robbie Dinero and Brockport College student Sarah Prentice were some of the key speakers.
Prentice is a Political Science major at SUNY Brockport and is the Campus Coordinator for Turning Point USA, a national non-profit organization founded by Charlie Kirk. The organization’s mission is to educate, train, and organize college and high school students to promote principles of freedom, free market, and limited government.
“I felt it was important to show our support for our freedom to make medical decisions for ourselves, and it is our duty to check on government when they get too big and attempt to force unconstitutional mandates on the citizens,” Prentice said.
Several local college students attended the rally to support the Canadian truckers. According to Nancy Orticelli of the Constitutional Coalition, there were more than 300 Americans that came to Niagara Falls in the frigid temperatures to show their support. “It was short notice, but the turnout was encouraging and inspiring,” said Orticelli.
After the speakers were finished, the rally headed to the middle of the Rainbow Bridge to join Canadians in a show of solidarity and listen to more guest speakers. Congressman Chris Jacob spoke as well as representatives from the CCP party. The featured speakers were Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, who is a Canadian Health Researcher and was an official at the US Department of Health and Human Services during the first year of the pandemic; Dr. Julie Ponesse, ethics professor and author; and Brian Dennison, formerly the Constable of Calgary Police who lost his job for not complying with the vaccine mandate. Before returning to their borders, the Canadians and Americans exchanged hats with emblems from their country.
Most of the Freedom Convoy arrived in Ottawa on January 29. According to reports from the Ottawa Police, the protest has been peaceful. Truckers have been seen emptying public garbage receptacles, clearing snow from city walks, and even polishing monuments. The number of trucks that arrived exceeded the space available in the city of Ottawa. Thousands of trucks are lined up on the outskirts of the city and are brought in as space allows. The efforts are well organized as each trucker has been vetted and had to provide proof of insurance and license to participate in the protest. GoFundMe donations are being used to pay for fuel and food.
Since the convoy began, changes have already occurred in Canada regarding COVID mandates and policies. The Saskatchewan Premier announced that he plans to end all COVID restrictions by the end of February. One of the strictest lockdown cities, Ottawa reopened to 50% and promises to open fully in the next few weeks. The Premiere of Quebec announced on February 1 that he is dropping plans to tax the unvaccinated.
The truckers plan to remain in Ottawa as long as necessary to gain their freedom and fellow Canadians’ livelihoods back. The GoFundMe set up to finance the protest has collected more than $10 million, donated by hundreds of thousands of supporters internationally.
To learn more about the Constitutional Coalition of WNY, find them on Facebook. For more about Turning Point USA, visit https://www.tpusa.com/about. To stay updated on the Canadian Convoy, follow their Facebook page, Freedom Convoy 2022.
Provided photos
