Truck convoy arriving in southwestern Ontario on Thursday
Matt and Tim Devereaux are sending three of their transports to Ottawa this weekend to protest mandatory vaccines for truckers crossing the border.
They say their truckers have endured a lot of the past two years and a vaccine mandate now, is just too much.
“Drivers are saying enough is enough. We know drivers that are vaccinated and they’re just saying if I have to prove I’m vaccinated to cross the border then I’m just not going to do it and retire,” says Matt Devereaux, who along with his brother, Tim, own Intermodal Heritage Freightlines in Seaforth and Paisley.
Little Rock Farm Trucking in Walkerton is sending five trucks to Ottawa, including one that reads, “This Land is our Land.”
Owners, Mark and Daniel Reuber say the truckers that worked through the worst of the pandemic are now feeling they are being told they are a danger to the public, unless they're vaccinated.
“We probably spend 60 per cent of our time trying to appease the regulations of our government, and now with this added on top, it just adds to the weight,” says Mark Reuber.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance, which does not endorse this trucking protest, estimate 85 per cent of 120,000 Canadian truckers are vaccinated, so this border mandate affects 15,000 truckers, they believe.
Little Rock and Intermodal believe the border vaccine mandate will hurt the economy.
“Every day we’re receiving e-mails saying trucks needed, trucks needed, trucks needed. Loads are not getting moved,” says Daniel Reuber.
“Everyone is going to pay for this. Supply chain, groceries. Everything you buy in the store, comes in a truck,” says Matt Devereaux.
The convoy is expected to reach southwestern Ontario Thursday morning, with a large rally expected to convene at the Flying J, south of London, at 11 a.m.
Police are warning motorists to be prepared for traffic slowdowns.
“It’s coming from Sarnia, via the 402, and Windsor on the 401, but as to how long it takes, many factors come into play. The number of participants in the demonstration and certainly the level of traffic. As we all know, the 400 series can be quite busy,” says OPP Spokersperson, Derek Rogers.
Back in Seaforth, Matt Devereaux says his three convoy trucks heading out later this week to Ottawa will all be driven by vaccinated truckers.
“For the government to say that you need to have a vaccine to cross the border, when the past two years when Covid was at it’s worst, we were allowed to do what we had to do to get things done. And now this mandate, it’s just not right,” he says.
The trucker convoy is expected to reach Ottawa and protest outside Parliament Hill by Saturday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.