Videos have emerged of the growing trucker convoy heading to Ottawa, showing a seemingly endless line of big rigs all heading in one direction.
This convoy going to Trudeau's doorstep is longer than the convoy of Russian troops headed to the Ukraine border. Justin, you've got a problem on your hands. pic.twitter.com/nRUBtSngTO
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) January 22, 2022
As previously reported by The Counter Signal, following the implementation of Trudeau’s vaccine mandate, truckers began posting video after video demanding the PM ends not just the mandate for truckers but also mask mandates, vaccine passports, and every other pandemic policy which restricts Canadians’ freedoms.
Friday was my last trip and contribution to the economy also.
Skippy, you woke a sleeping giant.🤬 pic.twitter.com/C9v4FyGdTm— 🇨🇦🌟 Fed up Canuck 🌟🇨🇦❤️🇺🇸 (@TonyErb3) January 16, 2022
Canada 🇨🇦 Truckers are beginning to block the highways on Canada/USA Border, in opposition of The Truckers VAX Mandate 🔥👊 pic.twitter.com/6l0PRoohuX
— 𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙇𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙀 (@risemelbourne) January 18, 2022
Canadians are standing up. I support these truckers. Do you? pic.twitter.com/measiIAUjs
— RN Patriot God & country Freedom🇺🇸🩸🩸 (@kcRnIcU564) January 10, 2022
The mandate, introduced on January 15, prevents all unvaccinated American truckers from entering the country, and all unvaccinated Canadian truckers must quarantine for 14 days upon returning from the states, essentially making their jobs impossible.
While only 10 per cent or so of Canadian truckers remain unvaccinated, vaccinated truckers are standing up, too, saying they’ve had enough, and this is the last straw. They won’t sit back and watch their colleagues get strong-armed by the feds.
Trucker rally!! Went out after work to support and also in memory of my father who passed a way 1.5 yrs ago.
What our sick government is doing to these drivers is inhumane.
First they came for………
They want to destroy all of us. Time to band together and call on God. pic.twitter.com/xZfeKKs8XG— Tobias Tissen (@TissenTobias) January 18, 2022
To this end, a massive convoy of truckers driving big riggers is participating in a cross-country protest. Others are organizing blockades and other disruptive activities, all but ensuring that the already strained supply chain is stretched ever thinner.
According to Ontario Trucking Association president Stephen Laskowski, Canada already faces a trucker shortage, as fewer people have chosen to get into the job in recent years. This will be heavily exasperated, he says, as, in Ontario alone, he expects to lose 10 per cent of his workforce instantly, roughly 16,000 truckers.
“What will happen and already is happening is the supply chain is just adjusting to having less drivers. We already don’t have enough drivers,” Laskowski said.
Truckers mean it this time. Time to unite against evil.#truckers #UnitedWeRoar #NoVaccineMandate pic.twitter.com/IsDnQuyvYe
— Syl Carle (@syl20carle) January 15, 2022
“So, what is happening is there is going to be a prioritization within our membership towards their customers. The companies who can be more aggressive are acquiring truck transportation to go across the Canada-U.S. border, but the others who cannot be as aggressive will find it more challenging moving their product.”
Additionally, Global News reports that there are over 26,000 truckers who cross the border every day, a critical process that relies on a small segment of society that can be easily disrupted.
Remove ten per cent of this 26,000 figure, along with all of the unvaccinated truckers in America, all the truckers protesting alongside them, and all of the truckers who, despite not protesting, will have their jobs disrupted by blockades and the scope of the potential calamity unveils itself.
“Canada imports about $21 billion worth of agri-food products from the United States every year, and about 60 to 70 per cent of the food imported arrives on wheels,” writes Sylvain Charlebois, a professor specializing in food distribution.
“That’s almost 20 per cent of the food Canadians buy in both foodservice and retail.”
He adds that the industry is already roughly 18,000 drivers short, and many, who are approaching retirement, may take this opportunity to exit the industry altogether.
“And the timing is not great either,” he continues. “Much of the volume comes through during the winter months when produce from the southern states offers welcome supplies to Canadian consumers.”
With the sheer mass of truckers joining the convoy, the scope of the problem beginning is now unignorable. It’s only a matter of time before Trudeau acknowledges the truckers, but whether he ends the mandate is still up in the air.
