Federal government won't budge on vaccine mandate for truckers as convoy heads for Ottawa

The federal government says it will not back down on its vaccination rule for cross-border truckers despite entrenched opposition from some drivers and groups claiming to represent their interests.

In a joint media statement released today, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Stephen Laskowski, the president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), said COVID-19 vaccines are the "most effective tool to reduce the risk of COVID-19" and protect public health.

In an interview with CBC's Power & Politics, Alghabra said the government is not interested in alternatives like rapid testing for unvaccinated truckers. He said truckers and the wider industry have had months to prepare for the new regulations and drivers must now get the shot or stop driving over the border.

"Our plan is to defeat COVID and end the pandemic as quickly as possible. What we're doing right now is for the protection of truck drivers but also for the protection of our supply chains and our economy," Alghabra said. "The best way to deal with COVID is through vaccination."

A convoy of protesters — including truckers and members of groups broadly opposed to public health mandates — are set to descend on Ottawa this weekend to stage a demonstration on Parliament Hill.

The effort, dubbed the "freedom convoy" by participants, is being organized by Canada Unity, a group that opposes COVID-19-related measures. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Tamara Lich — who has ties to the Maverick Party, a federal party with roots in Alberta separatist circles — has so far collected more than $4.3 million in donations to support the convoy.

A spokesperson for GoFundMe said today the company is putting a hold on the funds "until the organizer is able to provide the documentation to our team about how funds will be properly distributed."

"We require that fundraisers be transparent about the flow of funds and have a clear plan for how those funds will be spent. In this case, we are in touch with the organizer to verify that information," Rachel Hollis told CBC News.

Lich has said the money will be used to cover food, fuel and lodging costs associated with the convoy. "It's a small price to pay for our freedoms," she said in her appeal to would-be donors.

Some Conservative MPs have offered their support to the anti-mandate movement. Garnett Genuis, a Conservative MP from Alberta, called the policy a "vaccine vendetta."

At least one Conservative MP — Martin Shields, who represents the Alberta riding of Bow River in the House of Commons — said he would be on hand in Ottawa to meet the convoy when it arrives. He said there should be "exceptions" to the mandate, including for essential workers who move goods across the Canada-U.S. border.

"Canadian supply chains are critical and the Trudeau Liberal government's mandates and freedom-curbing restrictions have gone on too long. It's time to get our freedoms back," Shields tweeted.

"Let's support the truckers and I'll be happy to meet with them here in Ottawa," he added in a video. "I want to meet those truckers."

The federal ministers said they are working on the supply chain issues, which have been driven in large part by pandemic-related shortages, constrained port capacity and a reduced labour force. They promised to work with the trucking industry to draft "long-term strategies that will achieve real and lasting results."