Kenora MP Eric Melillo says he’s frustrated and disappointed to see Canada’s mandatory vaccination policy for truckers take effect – prompting thousands of truckers to protest and convoy across the country.
Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all truckers took effect on January 15 after making the announcement in November, while the United States’ requirement took effect on January 22. The mandatory vaccines aim to avoid a 14-day quarantine when truckers cross the border.
Thousands of truckers departed from British Columbia on their way to Ottawa to protest the new mandates on January 23. The Convoy for Freedom is expected to make its way into the Kenora area this evening, before making it to Ottawa by the 29th. The convoy aims to make it to Ignace by 1 p.m. tomorrow.
“This mandate coming into force is very disappointing,” says Melillo. It’s going to have a number of negative consequences.”
“Many truck drivers will be forced out of work and less goods will flow in both directions over the border. So, local companies will see their operations affected by not being able to export to the United States as easily.”
Up to 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers who make regular trips across the Canada-U.S. border would likely be sidelined as a result of the vaccine mandate in both countries, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Associations.
Some 30,000 trucks roll across the border each day hauling nearly $850 million in freight, according to 2020 figures from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The federal government says over two-thirds of the goods traded between Canada and United States travel by roadways. The total value of traded goods between the two countries is listed at around $650 billion.
“And of course, Canadians will pay the price for supply shortages of items coming into the country,” adds Melillo. “This will only make inflation worse for Canadians. It’s concerning that at a time of economic crisis, this government is choosing a policy that will only make the situation more difficult.”
Canada’s annual pace of inflation climbed in December to its highest rate since 1991 up to 4.8 per cent. Driving the faster pace of price growth in December were higher year-over-year prices for food, passenger vehicles and housing.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the vast majority of truckers are vaccinated already, and Conservative politicians, like Melillo, are ‘stoking fear’ that the COVID-19 mandates for truckers are causing supply chain disruptions and inflation increases.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance has spoken against the protests, saying protests ‘that interfere with public safety are not how disagreements with government policies should be expressed.’ The CTA has said the mandates should be delayed until 2023 at the earliest.
Leaders of the convoy say they’re also protesting vaccination mandates for workers across the country, government restrictions and lockdowns, vaccination passes and the ‘division of Canadian society.’