There are a few things that I think are fundamentally part of the Canadian experience. The first is pointing out every single Canadian celebrity on the radio, in a TV show, or in a basketball game. The second is claiming moral superiority over Americans. We have a lot to be proud of! We have a 17 percent higher vaccination rate, universal healthcare, and Tim Hortons.
On the whole, Canadians have been great about following the strict lockdown measures that have been in place sporadically since March of 2020. We’ve worn our masks, socially distanced, and left the halls of MCI for the lonely chaos of virtual school. It’s been a long, exhausting couple of years, but we’ve made it out the other side. A small but vocal number of Canadians, though, have decided that they’re completely done with all the public health mandates.
A convoy of truckers, calling themselves the “Freedom Convoy”, arrived in Ottawa on January the 28th, protesting new laws requiring unvaccinated truckers to quarantine once they returned to Canada. It’s worth noting that 90 percent of Canadian truckers are vaccinated, and their regulatory body denounced the protest. It quickly grew, and by the time the convoy arrived in Ottawa, it had gathered fringe, far-right elements.
Some people waved confederate flags, carried Trump 2024 signs, and demanded free food from soup kitchens. Though the majority were peaceful, they don’t appear to be leaving anytime soon, and their demands have snowballed into ending all restrictions. Similar protests are planned in Toronto, and will have likely occurred by the time anyone reads this.
I don’t think anyone likes the mandates we have to deal with, and I understand the truckers’ frustrations. Lockdowns have hurt the Canadian economy, forcing small businesses to close. They have hurt our mental health, isolating us from our friends and families and causing increases in depression and anxiety. Many Canadians feel unheard by their government, and want their concerns to be taken seriously.
While their motives might be understandable, their actions are causing a great deal of harm. Ironically, Ottawa has been in lockdown because of the huge numbers of truckers pouring into the city - on lockdown because of the anti-lockdown protest! Demanding an end to all restrictions also fails to take into account the serious harm that Covid-19 has caused. Many people have lost loved ones to the virus, and while I was fortunate enough not to do so, two members of my immediate family are suffering long-term effects from Covid, which has radically affected their day-to-day lives.
We live in a democratic society, so people definitely have the right to protest. However, it’s clear that the “Freedom Convoy” has gone on long enough. The truckers haven’t just shut down the city of Ottawa. They’re putting their desire for personal freedom above the collective health of Canadian society, and are showing that right-wing extremism isn’t just an American problem - it’s a Canadian one too.
Image taken by Nayab Naveed