I live in downtown Ottawa, right in the middle of the trucker convoy protest. They are literally camped out below my bedroom window. My new neighbours moved in on Friday and they seem determined to stay. I have read a lot about what my new neighbours are supposedly like, mostly from reporters and columnists who write from distant vantage points somewhere in the media heartland of Canada. Apparently the people who inhabit the patch of asphalt next to my bedroom are white supremacists, racists, hatemongers, pseudo-Trumpian grifters, and even QAnon-style nutters. I have a perfect view down Kent Street – the absolute ground zero of the convoy. In the morning, I see some protesters emerge from their trucks to stretch their legs, but mostly throughout the day they remain in their cabs honking their horns. At night I see small groups huddled in quiet conversations in their new found companionship. There is no honking at night. What I haven’t noticed, not even once, are reporters from any of Canada’s news agencies walking among the trucks to find out who these people are. So last night, I decided to do just that – I introduced myself to my new neighbours.
At 10pm I started my walk along – and in – Kent Street. I felt nervous. Would these people shout at me? My clothes, my demeanour, even the way I walk screamed that I’m an outsider. All the trucks were aglow in the late evening mist, idling to maintain warmth, but all with ominously dark interiors. Standing in the middle of the convoy, I felt completely alone as though these giant monsters weren’t piloted by people but were instead autonomous transformer robots from some science fiction universe that had gone into recharging mode for the night. As I moved along I started to notice smatterings of people grouped together between the cabs sharing cigarettes or enjoying light laughs. I kept quiet and moved on. Nearby, I spotted a heavy duty pickup truck, and seeing the silhouette of a person in the driver’s seat, I waved. A young man, probably in his mid 20s, rolled down the window, said hello and I introduced myself. His girlfriend was reclined against the passenger side door with a pillow to prop her up as she watched a movie on her phone. I could easily tell it’s been an uncomfortable few nights. I asked how they felt and I told them I lived across the street. Immediate surprise washed over the young man’s face. He said, “You must hate us. But no one honks past 6pm!” That’s true. As someone who lives right on top of the convoy, there is no noise at night. I said, “No, I don’t hate anyone, but I wanted to find out about you.” The two were from Sudbury Ontario, having arrived on Friday with the bulk of the truckers. I ask what they hoped to achieve, and what they wanted. The young woman in the passenger seat moved forward, excited to share. They said that they didn’t want a country that forced people to get medical treatments such as vaccines. There was no hint of conspiracy theories in their conversation with me, not a hint of racist overtones or hateful demagoguery. I didn’t ask them if they had taken the vaccine, but they were adamant that they were not anti-vaxers.
The next man I ran into was standing in front of the big trucks at the head of the intersection. Past middle age and slightly rotund, he had a face that suggests a lifetime of working outdoors. I introduced myself and he told me he was from Cochrane, Ontario. He also proudly pointed out that he was the block captain who helped maintain order. I thought, oh no, he might be the one person keeping a lid on things; is it all that precarious? I delicately asked how hard his job was to keep the peace but I quickly learned that’s not really what he did. He organized the garbage collection among the cabs, put together snow removal crews to shovel the sidewalks and clear the snow that accumulates on the road. He even has a salting crew for the sidewalks. He proudly bellowed in an irrepressible laugh “We’re taking care of the roads and sidewalks better than the city.” I waved goodbye and continued to the next block.
My next encounter was with a man dressed in dark blue shop-floor coveralls. A wiry man of upper middle age, he seemed taciturn and stood a bit separated from the small crowd that formed behind his cab for a late night smoke. He hailed from the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. He owned his own rig, but he only drove truck occasionally, his main job being a self-employed heavy duty mechanic. He closed his shop to drive to Ottawa, because he said, “I don’t want my new granddaughter to live in a country that would strip the livelihood from someone for not getting vaccinated.” He introduced me to the group beside us. A younger crowd, I can remember their bearded faces, from Athabasca, Alberta, and Swift Current Saskatchewan. The weather had warmed, and it began to rain slightly, but they too were excited to tell me why they came to Ottawa. They felt that they needed to stand up to a government that doesn’t understand what their lives are like. To be honest, I don’t know what their lives are like either – a group of young men who work outside all day with tools that they don’t even own. Vaccine mandates are a bridge too far for them. But again, not a hint of anti-vax conspiracy theories or deranged ideology.
I made my way back through the trucks, my next stop leading me to a man of East Indian descent in conversation with a young man from Sylvan Lake, Alberta. They told me how they were following the news of O’Toole’s departure from the Conservative leadership and that they didn’t like how in government so much power has pooled into so few hands.
The rain began to get harder; I moved quickly through the intersection to the next block. This time I waved at a driver in one of the big rigs. Through the rain it was hard to see him, but he introduced himself, an older man, he had driven up from New Brunswick to lend his support. Just behind him some young men from Gaspésie, Quebec introduced themselves to me in their best English. At that time people started to notice me – this man from Ottawa who lives across the street – just having honest conversations with the convoy. Many felt a deep sense of abuse by a powerful government and that no one thinks they matter.
Behind the crowd from Gaspésie sat a stretch van, the kind you often see associated with industrial cleaners. I could see the shadow of a man leaning out from the back as he placed a small charcoal BBQ on the sidewalk next to his vehicle. He introduced himself and told me he was from one of the reservations on Manitoulin Island. Here I was in conversation with an Indigenous man who was fiercely proud to be part of the convoy. He showed me his medicine wheel and he pointed to its colours, red, black, white, and yellow. He said there is a message of healing in there for all the human races, that we can come together because we are all human. He said, “If you ever find yourself on Manitoulin Island, come to my reserve, I would love to show you my community.” I realized that I was witnessing something profound; I don’t know how to fully express it.
As the night wore on and the rain turned to snow, those conversations repeated themselves. The man from Newfoundland with his bullmastiff, a young couple from British Columbia, the group from Winnipeg that together form what they call “Manitoba Corner ” all of them with similar stories. At Manitoba Corner a boisterous heavily tattooed man spoke to me from the cab of his dually pickup truck – a man who had a look that would have fit right in on the set of some motorcycle movie – pointed out that there are no symbols of hate in the convoy. He said, “Yes there was some clown with a Nazi flag on the weekend, and we don’t know where he’s from, but I’ll tell you what, if we see anyone with a Nazi flag or a Confederate flag, we’ll kick his fucking teeth in. No one’s a Nazi here.” Manitoba Corner all gave a shout out to that.
As I finally made my way back home, after talking to dozens of truckers into the night, I realized I met someone from every province except PEI. They all have a deep love for this country. They believe in it. They believe in Canadians. These are the people that Canada relies on to build its infrastructure, deliver its goods, and fill the ranks of its military in times of war. The overwhelming concern they have is that the vaccine mandates are creating an untouchable class of Canadians. They didn’t make high-falutin arguments from Plato’s Republic, Locke’s treatises, or Bagehot’s interpretation of Westminster parliamentary systems. Instead, they see their government willing to push a class of people outside the boundaries of society, deny them a livelihood, and deny them full membership in the most welcoming country in the world; and they said enough. Last night I learned my new neighbours are not a monstrous faceless occupying mob. They are our moral conscience reminding us – with every blow of their horns – what we should have never forgotten: We are not a country that makes an untouchable class out of our citizens.
Now that is journalism. The fact the CBC and others are not making any effort should be very alarming to the entire nation. Could it be that the media has become the church of old? twisting the faith (or truth) to push government agendas?
We better separate this new church from government asap.
I commend you for walking about and interviewing everyone. Your story is a heart warming.
This peaceful demonstration is now an occupancy so it is no longer innocent. The requests of undoing the mandates cannot be done by the federal government. The jurisdiction of the federal government is transportation, banking and communication. Each of the provinces decides how and when to implement any health measures. So the protesters are either uneducated or negotiating in bad faith.
Unfortunately most people in Canada know more about American politics and governance than they do about Canadian.
These people need to go back home, write emails and letters from their provincial representatives and get involved in the every day politics. Canada voted in Trudeau in less than six months ago and now they are protesting.
The question is, how many of those people voted? How many wrote to their MP and MPP? It is easy to protest but harder to get involved.
Ontario will have an election this year. How many of those protestors will attend a political rally, ask questions, be involved in a party?
You raise good points, but the problem is that Canada has never squared the circle of balancing representation by population with regional representation. So Canadians often look to Ottawa as the conductor of the train. If you are interested, please read Donald Savoie’s book Democracy in Canada: The Disintegration of Our Institutions.
Thank you! ❤️
Such an encouraging blog. Thank you❤️
Hello David. Like others have posted, your report moved me to tears as well. Thank you for being a real scientist who follows your innate curiosity for the truth and not The Science(tm). It would be interesting to measure the viral spread and impact of this article – I’ve shared it by email, Facebook, and Twitter. I have a feeling it will take much longer than 2 weeks to flatten that curve. 🙂
Best regards,
Jay from Toronto
I want to thank you for this most wonderful story I only pray that somehow the rest of Canada could see and hear the heart cry of so many, that truly fear the road we are heading down.
Thank you for taking the time…it was ajoy to read
Thank you for a viewpoint that made me feel as though I was right there hearing the voices of these passionate Canadians.
Thank you for sharing the account of your experiences in and around the Freedom Convoy. So encouraged to be reminded that Ottawa is home to many people who are able to see, hear, think, analyze and organize those inputs and put them into a narrative that is SO important to spread right now. Praying for cool heads, peace and safety for Ottawa.
Thank you!
Thank you so much David for painting a clearer picture of the heart of this convoy. I was captivated by every word of it. Your incredible gift to pen your experience took me along the way. I was full of gratitude for your honesty and ability to discern the truth amidst the slander that has been so blatantly hurled against them. My heart was crying why can’t the others see this too. I am saddened by the reality of an abuse of governmental authority. You have shed some light and hopefully helped dispell some lies being spewed against hard working Canadian citizens who are standing for our Constitutional Rights. Much appreciation for all who speak truth. May justice roll.
Made me cry. Very beautiful essay, very heartfelt. I love that unstoppable human desire to interact, to converse, to find out, and to connect. To take that very first step towards the supposedly fearsome and “unsafe” unknown and untouchable, a mythical creature created by a tyrannical government and its sycophant media who are bent on maintaining tight control over free men.
Thank you for daring to step out of their lies and deception. I am in the US but I was also down there in the brisk, Canadian winter cold with you, hands in my coat pockets – waving, asking, listening, sharing their hope for a freer country.
Wonderful narrative. Thank you sir. Not 1% of so-called journalism even approaches your level of authenticity and intellectual honesty.
With Aloha from Honolulu…
Lady Texas here. Thank you for confirming what I thought about the convoy. God Bless them. Texas stands with them and free Canada.
The trucks do not stop blowing their horns at 6:00 pm. Well written for sure but not entirely accurate!
They do stop here.
Brilliant! Thank you, David.
I commend you for taking the time to talk to these people. I wish there were more people out there like you. Going out for themselves what is really going on. Finding out these people are not the hate mongers, racists, etc. they are being portrayed as by the media and government. Kudos to you man!!!!
If you work for CBC and are in Ottawa Chris, perhaps you could check things out doing a walk about as well. I’d like to see true unbiased journalism again. There are two sides to every story, let’s get back to finding the truth no matter what the cost!
“Being objective is reporting an issue considering both sides of the problem. It means giving voice to different players, collecting multiple opinions and perspectives.
Exactly what a traditional journalist is supposed to do”
David, thank you for taking the evening walk to greet your new neighbours. There truly needs to be more citizens taking more jaunts around their neighbourhoods to see for themselves who the truckers and supporters really are.
I, myself am vaxxed. Two of my three sons are not. I am in my 60’s and have been out of work since this March 2020. I must say it has been very difficult for myself to get work now even though you hear how companies are crying for staff/employees. Well that truly depends on who they want. I admit that I cannot do the things I did even 10 years ago. But I have only had 1 phone interview in the last 2 years.
Now, for the first time I actually feel hopeful again; like there might be an end to all of this. I have been in actual need of keeping up with what is going on in Ottawa and OUR truckers and supporters every day since this started. The TRUCKERS are the ones uniting us, our country Canada like nothing before except a hockey game back in the 70’s.
Our truckers are the every day person that helps keep our country alive and well and on the go.
And by the way, 2 of my sons were truckers years ago and my middlest son has returned to driving locally again. My oldest son is a heavy duty technician (there’s another term but I cannot remember it) and my youngest has been in construction for quite a few years now. He likes it better than driving trucks.
Again, David thank you for your article and taking the time to meet your new neighbours.
Blessings from Susan ELi Nelson.
Hi David,
I’ve spent three hours this morning reading your incredible blog and the comments of all the people from Canada, the USA and many other parts of the world responding to it. An absolutely amazing piece and I thank you so much for sharing it.
David,
I thank you from the bottom of my heart and from the tears on my face for having the courage to venture outside of your comfort zone to engage with everyday hard working people who just want what’s right. I thank you for your writings as they are well spoken and honest. You are definitely a keeper :).
Thank you for reporting truthfully about the convoy participants. Here’s to hoping that they prevail!
David,
Thank you so much for writing this. I have been downtown a couple of times over the past week and have had the same experience as you, but don’t have your eloquence! Please write again soon!
Great write up.
I’m a Canadian who lives in Oklahoma City. I’m also a trucker. My family lives in Canada.
Although life here has been only slightly inconvenienced by a temporary mask mandate (which I ignored), what I’ve heard of life in Canada saddened me. Fear was used to take control of Canadian’s lives. The question that begs asking… why?
I never imagined that powerful men in suits who contribute nothing to society would attempt to segregate the people of Canada (and the world) as they have done. Why?
Maybe we will never know.
Thank you for taking the time to understand. Thank you for this courageous and honest message.
I am not Canadian, but I am a human being. As Kennedy said, “…we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”
I’m often reminded of this speech in times such as this. I pray we all learn to appreciate these words, particularly those who hold office.
Thank you again for taking the time to not only see and hear for yourself, but for writing this and having the guts to share it.
All the Best from Tennessee, USA
We are the World…thank you for being brave enough to venture into the world we want not the world we are being force fed. Thank you!
Thank you David! Well done. Honesty is so scarce these days it really knocks you between the eyes to read it.
Thank you David! Well done.
I live in Ottawa and went downtown yesterday afternoon. Although nervous, I wanted to see for myself what was going on. I encountered (mostly young) men and women, families, smiling faces, and people joking, laughing and hugging; it was a gentle and convivial atmosphere. I even got a hug and an offer of coffee and cookies from a truck driver from Newfoundland who has been in Ottawa since January 28.
Oh, and by the way, no media in sight. I don’t know how this will end, but I am praying for the members of the convoy and their safety.
Our talk radio guy in Saskatchewan read this in its entirety on his show. Not the picture Trudaeu and his media paint. Refreshing… thanks.
Thank you. You have shared a perspective sorrily missed. So glad you posted this. You are a good man.
Thank you, David. You undertook a task that our government subsidized state/corporate media has refused to do. It is truly sad that many of our fellow Canadians must rely on obtaining their information from these said outlets, and we all know what these outlets are advocating. It is nothing short of criminal what they are deliberately and falsely reporting to the people of our country. I wish there was some way to enlighten them. It breaks my heart to the point that it sickens my stomach to know that we are being intentionally misinformed. I will be attending on Sunday to support my fellow Canadians. Again, thank you David for your honesty, you are a good and solid Canadian.
With age, we learn that understanding someone and their views comes from listening. Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes provides a whole new perspective. It’s not about agreeing, but growing. I wish more people would be open enough to ask questions before jumping to conclusions. I loved reading your piece. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for doing this. And thank you for getting to know your new neighbours. 🤍
Tears in my eyes while reading this. I support the cause of the protesters, since we are heading in the same direction in Europe. And this is definitively not the society I want to live in. I want a free society without QR. Greetings from the Netherlands, which was once liberated from the Nazi’s by Canada. Much love.
Excellent, wonderful read.
Thank you so very very much for this blog post!! Like others it has brought me to tears.
I have started to wonder if our country was split on rural vs urban thinking more then ever before but your writing proves that is not the case. We have been divided by greed and power not a virus. I have customers who are former military and privy council employees and they have been so appalled by what has happened. The use of a mandate for almost every item that has passed in our capitals in the past 30 plus months is criminal. Thanks to your new neighbors and others with knowledge and strength we have to hope for change. Please keep sharing your truth and encourage others to do the same. I know I am.
Thank you so much, this is the most beautiful piece of writing I have read in a good long while. It would make a wonderful Letter to the Editor of every newspaper in Canada.
Awesome write-up!! Awesome to be Canadian! 🇨🇦 God Bless!
Thanks David for an honest piece about what the convoy is about. Very much appreciated. They are standing up for their opinions on a Government overstepping it’s power.
These are hard working mostly business men and women working hard paying taxes and getting things done. Where would we be without the truckers farmers and others that are fighting for their livelihood.
Let’s hope media will fairly cover this but we all have doubts that this will be done accurately and fairly.
So again thank you.
I too have felt teary reading your beautiful, from-the-heart writing, David. Thank you so very much for reaching out, taking that walk, and writing it all. Every news commentator would do well to read it, and the comments.. and share.
I live in Maryland, in the U.S. I’ve followed the Convoy for over a week now, both on the drive, thanks to The Real Pat King, and then in your city with him and Druthers. What’s happening there is beautiful!
This brought tears flooding down my face. These men and woman standing for my right to choose. I sit at home with 2 small children, and a 10 month old baby, and I too am not antivax, but I am hesitant because we want more children and there is so much unknown. My husband drives big rig, through the entire pandemic, all the while being high risk himself- got double vaxxed as soon as he could. We deserve better from our government, I don’t deserve feeling like I have to hide my vaccination status for fear of judgement. I can’t express my gratitude to these people for standing for all of us. 😭❤️🇨🇦
David, I have read thousands of articles and this is the first one I’ve commented on. It was truly remarkable piece of writing, and from a Math and Physics major; I did not know you guys had these skills 🙂
Growing up blue collar in a blue collar town your journey transplanted me back to a place I’ve long left. You were traversing the landscape with my uncle who drove a fuel truck for 40 years; my cousin who drives a fork lift; my other uncle who was an electrician. My friends and my neighbors of long ago. These are good people and I am glad you got to meet some.
It’s been so frustrating to me to read what’s been written about our fellow Canadians – those who did not get a B.A or fancier degree and work on Zoom the last two years. It’s just so sad.
It’s unfortunate in our current political and media landscape it took a civil servant such as yourself to share such wisdom and heartfelt thoughts, but such is life. I’ll just read your piece four or five more times. All the best in your career.
Dean
When all this is over, your wonderful essay will be taught to my children in school.
This is what Canada is.
I am reading this from Slovenia, Europe. I follow closely the Freedom Convoy and I am grateful to each men and woman for their voice and their heart, that woke up and returned hope for humanity to millions around the globe. If I lived in Ottawa, I would be proud to sit with them every night to show support.
This was an absolutely beautiful article!!! The description of those you encountered on your walk through the convoy painted such a crystal clear picture of each individual. I felt I could close my eyes and see them in the exact way you saw them. I am so proud to be a Canadian and even more so after reading this…firstly because of the wonderful, brave men and women fighting for our rights and freedoms and secondly because you stepped out and took the time to hear their stories with an open mind and compassionate heart and shared the truth with us all. You are an amazing human!! Big hugs to you from Edson, Alberta
Thank you very much David for sharing your perspective and experience with us.
Thank you David for your refreshing and candid report. You did what the MSM has failed to do, gave us a perspective that made us feel as though we were a part of it all.
God bless the truckers and God bless you. May freedom reign in this country for a long, long time!
Grateful you took the time to meet the people involved with the Trucker Convoy, and even more grateful you took the time to write about it. Yours is a respected voice, and your experience may help others be more curious and open to learn about the very real concerns the truckers, and those who support them, have.
In Orwell’s novel 1984, the only expression of hope is that the ‘proles’ – the proletariat – will one day do something to remove the tyranny of the totalitarian state. This beautiful article shows how it is ordinary working class Canadians – our own proles – who are trying to prevent a growing tyranny by their own direct action. At the end of the article I was left wondering – maybe corporate media, including the CBC, have in fact already gone among the truckers, like this writer, to try to get some quotes that would prove or even just suggest the prime ministers’ claims of racism and intolerance, and came up empty? And that is why corporate media hasn’t produced any direct reporting as has been done here? It wouldn’t surprise me. Truckers and citizen journalism. This is the new grassroots activism and honest reporting and it is wonderfully encouraging to see it.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. What these people are standing up for is amazing and it’s been so sad to see it be misrepresented by the media and government. Really appreciate your humility and honesty.
I have personally haven’t been able to see my family for two years because I live overseas. Really hoping what is accomplished in this space will bring me closer to being able to see them again.