Duelling convoys rejoin ahead of protest journey to Ottawa
Protesters from duelling convoys to Ottawa that split only weeks ago have once again joined forces, days ahead of a cross-Canada trip to the nation’s capital to air political grievances with the federal government.
United We Roll! convoy organizer Glen Carritt said his convoy is welcoming protesters from the now defunct yellow vest convoy, after parting ways over philosophical concerns with that group’s affiliation with the controversial movement.
The goal from the start “has been to have everyone to join together,” he said, adding that yellow vest convoy founder CJ Clayton is no longer working on the project and has since been passing registrants on to him.
Weeks ago, infighting in the yellow vest convoy caused thousands of dollars worth of refunds to be handed out, while controversy surrounding the movement’s moniker grew, leading it to fizzle out.
Carritt, who worked with a small team sorting out intricacies surrounding the rally, said they are welcoming “any peaceful, non-radical, respectful Canadians” who want to send a message to the federal government.
“No radicals, no racists, no hate people (are welcome) — yellow vest or no yellow vest, everyone is welcome.”
The mandate surrounding the trip to Ottawa has been to push for meaningful change over legal and political roadblocks delaying pipeline expansions. Federal bills C-69 and C-48 have also been cited as sore points by convoy participants.
Carritt said the convoy is as ready as ever for its Valentine’s Day launch.
“We’re getting very excited,” he said Saturday.
“We’ve got our permits all in place. It’s been pretty hectic, but things are coming together. We’re still getting people signed up. The idea is people can join us on the way … join when you can for as long as you can.”
Carritt said a “few hundred” vehicles have been signed up for the endeavour, departing from Red Deer about 8 a.m. Thursday, adding they expect their numbers to swell along the way during the five-day road trip to Ottawa.
From Red Deer, the convoy will travel around Calgary on Stoney Trail, through southeastern Alberta and into Saskatchewan, before spending the night in Regina.
On Friday morning, the convoy departs Regina at 6 a.m. before reaching Virden, Man., where another convoy will join up en route to Kenora, Ont., the next stopping point.
Saturday will see the convoy travel from Kenora to Sault St. Marie, Ont., and on Sunday it is scheduled to reach Arnprior, Ont., just outside Ottawa.
The convoy is scheduled to reach its final destination, Parliament Hill, on Feb. 19.
On Sunday, Indigenous supporters of Canada’s oil and gas industry held a rally in Lac La Biche in northern Alberta to make the point that the sector plays a vital role in their lives.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a business owner or a worker or an Aboriginal community. We’re all in this together,” Lee Thom, a councillor from Kikino Metis Settlement, told a crowd gathered in a recreation centre.
Rene Houle from Whitefish Lake First Nation said the energy industry generates spinoff businesses that employ hundreds of people in his community — with the money that’s earned spent at car dealerships, movie theatres and other businesses in neighbouring towns.
The bottom line, he said, is the oil and gas sector helps keep people from becoming burdens on the social-welfare and justice systems.
“We would not have a proper living. We would not have a meaningful way of life, a healthy way of life,” Houle said.
“Alone, our First Nation would not be able to generate that.”
The rally was organized by the Region One Aboriginal Business Association, which represents northern Alberta Indigenous businesses, and was supported by Rally 4 Resources and Canada Action, which have organized other recent pro-oil rallies and convoys in Western Canada.
When the yellow vest group launched, Canada Action had been looking to run its own convoy to Ottawa.
Canada Action founder Cody Battershill made it clear his group was troubled by the convoy to Ottawa’s association with the yellow vest movement, which began in France in 2018 as a political movement for economic justice and has since spread to similar protests in various parts of the world.
Battershill and Canada Action announced last month that “unexpected challenges” made it no longer viable to make the trip.