‘Freedom Convoy’ rolls through Shelburne on the way to Ottawa

February 3, 2022 · 0 Comments

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents from communities all around northern Dufferin County flocked and lined the path of Shelburne’s main thruways on Friday (Jan. 28), as a convoy of truckers against COVID-19 vaccine mandates rolled through town on their way to Ottawa.

The convoy of truckers associated with the Grey Bruce Freedom Fighters, were part of a larger nation-wide protest, known as the Freedom Convoy. On Jan. 23 hundreds of B.C truckers hit the road from Vancouver to Parliament Hill, to protest the federal vaccine mandate, that went into effect on Jan. 15.

The new mandate requires unvaccinated truckers to quarantine for 14 days before crossing the border. Up to 26,000 or about 20 per cent of the 160,000 American and Canadian cross border truckers are estimated to be impacted.

Supports of the protest seemed barely affected by Friday’s frigid temperatures, with music, horns, and cheers giving off an air of a tail-gate or pep-rally as trucks made their way across Hwy. 89. Many held signs reading “no more mandates” and “thank you” while others held up Canadian flags.

Kyle Clemmer standing with his wife and kids stood out amongst the crowd as he held up a sign that reading “I lost my job”.

A former wastewater treatment operator for the Town of Minto, Clemmer told the Free Press he lost his job after being denied an exemption from the vaccine.

“At first there was never a termination clause, they were going to make us work alone. I opted to apply for exemption which was denied, and I was placed on a leave of absence,” explained Clemmer. “I did talk with some lawyers and was told everybody is going that way so decide where you want to work or make a choice, at which point they terminated my employment.”

Clemmer said he chose to attend the protest because “where do we want our nation to be in the future?” and added “this is only the beginning of the mandates.”

Mirium Lo, a local resident who held up a sign thanking the convoy truckers said she was in attendance to support what she describes as “the heroes not noticed”.

“People don’t really think about what the truckers do for us. Everybody talks about health care workers, but no one really about the truckers,” she said.

“While we were staying at home and in the comfort on our homes, they were on the road alone, keeping our supply chain going. I just wanted to come out and show them support for what they’ve done for us and to thank them.”

While some attendees were there to directly support the truckers regarding the quarantine mandate, others took the opportunity to protest other vaccine policies and vaccines on the whole.

Shelburne resident Stephanie told the Free Press that as a government employee she was “forced to get the vaccine or face unemployment”.

“My niece and nephew are not able to play sports or do activities because their parents, who are unvaccinated by personal choice, are not able to go,” she said. “They’re heartbroken that they’re not able to enjoy being a kid with their friends so I’m here to support them and their future.”

Another attendee Julie Tibbles, a resident of Mansfield, said “I feel it’s important to stand up for our rights and the right to choose what we do with our bodies.”

While the convoy of trucks made their way into town, traffic was momentarily blocked by Dufferin OPP in order to safely maneuver the convoy through Dufferin County.

Dufferin OPP community liaison, Jennifer Roach said the OPP did not encounter any issues with people participating in the convoy or observing.

Shelburne Mayor Wade Mills provided a statement to the Free Press regarding Friday’s protest:

“I was relieved that Friday’s convoy demonstration remained peaceful and that it caused only minimal and short-lived disruption within our community. I would like to thank our emergency services, particularly our OPP, for dedicated the extra time and resources that we required to ensure that they were properly prepared for this. Regardless of where one stands on the issue, I think that we can all be thankful that we live in a country where we enjoy incredible freedoms, including the freedom to peacefully demonstrate.”

The convoy of trucks that made their way through town on Friday began their journey in Owen Sound and passed through the communities of Chatsworth, Flesherton, Shelburne, and Orangeville before joining a larger group in Belleville and heading to Ottawa.