Ottawa police prepare for trucker convoy
Big rigs passing through GTA today could cause traffic havoc on Toronto highways, roads
Ottawa police say they have been in touch with leaders of a trucker convoy over weekend protest plans in the capital and are getting ready for several scenarios — including violence.
Chief Peter Sloly said Wednesday he is working with the RCMP and intelligence bodies to prepare for the protests against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers.
Sloly said the convoy organizers have been co-operative in telling police about their plans for the protest, which he predicts could last several days, but the situation is evolving rapidly.
Deputy Chief Steve Bell said police are “tracing parallel groups” that are preparing to join the truckers, as well as counter-protesters, and are monitoring social media.
Ottawa police estimate there could be up to 2,000 demonstrators, but this number is shifting quickly, and warn residents against travelling downtown during the event. Sloly said police support the right to peaceful protest but will be prepared to move protesters out of the demonstration zone should the situation become violent or threatening.
The convoy, which departed from Delta, B.C., on Sunday, was scheduled to pass through the GTA on Thursday.
The main procession was expected to depart from Vaughan Mills shopping centre at noon Thursday, heading south on Highway 400, before taking the 407 east on its way to Napanee and Kingston.
Other drivers were expected to join the convoy from Sarnia, Windsor and Niagara via the QEW, Highway 400, Highway 401 and Highway 427.
The Ontario Provincial Police warned of traffic disruptions and delays from Thursday until Saturday. The Toronto organizer of the convoy, Dave Steenburg, said his group was working closely with the OPP. “Safety is a key priority as we pass through (Toronto). Lanes will be left open for traffic to safely merge on and off the highway,” Steenburg said.
Some supporters of the convoy, including some Conservative MPs, have taken to social media to warn the vaccine mandate for truckers will leave store shelves empty. Some have gone so far as to predict Canadians will starve.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has assured Canadians there’s no reason to fear food shortages will result from a small minority of truck drivers refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate.
Alghabra said the large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured him they have plenty of goods to provide their customers, despite some labour shortages and supply chain bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, he said there’s been no “measurable impact” on the number of trucks crossing the border since the vaccine mandate went into effect on Jan. 15. Last week, he said almost 100,000 trucks crossed the border — about the same as usual for this time of year.
Others have latched onto the protest. One online video includes a man expressing hope the rally will turn into the Canadian equivalent of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump.
Donald Trump Jr. took to social media Tuesday to endorse the Canadian truck convoy’s fight against “tyranny” and to urge Americans to follow suit.
A group called Canada Unity is organizing the movement, which its members refer to as the “freedom convoy.”
A “memorandum of understanding,” posted on the Canada Unity website, says its goal is to form a committee with the Senate and Governor General that would override all levels of Canadian government to stop the use of vaccine passports, waive fines linked to COVID-19 and reinstate employees who were fired for breaking COVID-19 rules.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance has estimated that about 15 per cent of truckers — as many as 16,000 — are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19.