Freedom 2022 Convoy Protest Update February 11, 2022

Truck at freedom convoy protesting with slogan of truckers for freedom
Truck at freedom convoy protesting with slogan of truckers for freedom | Image taken from FrontBurnerCBC

Downtown Ottawa remains the domain of the Freedom 2022 Convoy demonstration. As more people pour into the parliament hill area for this weekend’s “festivities”, there seems to be no push back from Ottawa police. Demonstrators in swim attire are soaking in “hot tubs” under the windows of Prime Minister Trudeau’s 3rd-floor office, mocking authority and fueling the merriment of the two or three thousand protestors in downtown Ottawa.

The scene in Windsor, at the Ambassador Bridge, is very different.

A line of police is pushing back demonstrators and their vehicles. Slowly progress is being made by police. They face a standoff of perhaps 200 or 300 police at a road intersection, just after the point of entry into Canada from the U.S.

The view at the two sites contrasts each other. There is chaos in Ottawa, with the only rule being the cavorting of the downtown mob. In Windsor, a police line continues to move forward against slowly pushing back Freedom Convoy demonstrators.

The police in Windsor are making progress. Not so in Ottawa. 

Only a few Big Rig trucks are in the Windsor demonstration. Mostly they are individuals on foot and an assembly of pickup trucks, SUVs, and cars. The police seem very organized in their steady pushback. Thankfully there has been no violence.

The economic importance of the blocked border crossings cannot be overemphasized. Police in Ontario have been granted new powers as of Doug Ford’s declaring a state of emergency on Friday, February 10.

Ford said this would include protecting international border crossings, 400-series highways, airports, ports, bridges, and railways. He called the ongoing events, a siege, an illegal occupation.

Ford said that penalties for non-compliance will be severe, with fines up to a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year of jail time. His government is considering the authority to take away personal and commercial licenses of those who do not comply with the orders.

The weight of these new powers would have a devastating effect on those who depend on their license, vehicle, and a clean criminal record to earn a living.

The U.S. and State of Michigan are urgently demanding the reopening of the Ambassador Bridge and the other border crossings closed by the demonstrations. 

The ongoing economic impact is massive, costing millions every hour and forcing untold thousands of people out of work.

Removing the border crossing blockages is essential for all of Canada. The downtown Ottawa occupation may drag on till next week. Its economic impact is far less than the border crisis.  

Ottawa Police, unfortunately, did not get a handle on the convoy at the very beginning, they quickly and easily became entrenched. 

This morning reports are that a convoy may be heading to the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie.

The Windsor police keep inching forward, slowly making progress against a border protest that should never have been allowed to start. But, for whatever reason, it did. It seems now the writing is on the wall for it to end. 

For the wellbeing of Canada and its major trade partner, the U.S., these border protests must end very soon.

While a teenager Tony was fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue his love of aviation and began a career began in the airline world during his days in high school and university as he grew up in Toronto. After completing University at Guelph he moved to Ottawa, following a path in urban agriculture and environmental awareness. He shared his insights for over 2 decades as he appeared on TV, and radio, as the "Plant D octor", and operating his own business in horticulture. Later he reentered the transport industry and became involved in the manufacture and marketing of sustainable fuel-saving and safety products for the truck industry. He is director of an African American art collection based in Washington D.C. Today he writes passionately about transportation, sustainability, concerns of our modern-day world, and the intrigue of the human condition.