Cross-country truckers convoy departs B.C. for Ottawa to protest vaccine mandate

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The first leg of the convoy, dubbed The Convoy For Freedom 2022, is set to leave B.C. on Sunday

A group of truckers is planning to drive across the country to protest a federal vaccine mandate in Canada’s capital.

The first leg of the convoy, dubbed  The Convoy For Freedom 2022 , is set to leave B.C. on Sunday. Convoy organizers plan to arrive in Ottawa on Jan. 29, where truckers from other provinces will join.

“I know a lot of drivers who are impacted by this. It has basically removed them from the workforce,” B.C. truck driver Colin Valentim told the  Vancouver Sun .

Valentim will lead the B.C. leg of the convoy taking the western route and expects to be accompanied by others along the way. Two other convoys have different starting points: The eastern route is to begin on Jan. 27 in Enfield, Nova Scotia. The southern route will leave on the same day from Windsor, Ont.

A Go Fund Me page for the cause has raised more than $560,000 to help with food, lodgings and fuel for the truckers.

“We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people,” wrote Go Fund Me organizer Tamara Lich. “Small businesses are being destroyed, homes are being destroyed, and people are being mistreated and denied fundamental necessities to survive.”

The decision for Canadian truckers to meet in Ottawa to protest the vaccine mandate comes as the industry struggles  with issues , such as disruptions to the supply chain and a shortage of drivers.

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The federal vaccine mandate could result in a loss of 12,000 to 16,000 cross-border commercial drivers, according to the  Canadian Trucking Alliance .

The mandate came into effect on Jan. 15, which means Canadian truckers must show proof of vaccination to avoid taking COVID-19 tests before reaching the border. They will also have to quarantine when they return from the United States. American truckers who are unvaccinated will not be allowed to enter.

On Wednesday, a group of  truck drivers protested the mandate at the US-Manitoba international border, blocking the highway and slowing traffic.

Valentim said the convoy to Ottawa won’t be “trying to block traffic” and that his goal is “to be loud.”