Truckers keep up blockade at Alberta border crossing as tensions rise

EDMONTON – A truck blockade snarling border traffic between Montana and Alberta is causing political and police tensions to ratchet up.

It began over the weekend alongside the “Freedom Convoy” that made its way into Ottawa, bringing thousands of protesters upset with public health measures and the federal government.

The blockade of vehicles in southern Alberta near the village of Coutts is made up of protesters that backed up traffic for about two kilometers on Sunday, according to local reports.

As of Monday morning, police are on the scene negotiating with the blockaders who are against a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for truckers who drive across the border. As of Jan. 15, the federal government required Canadian truckers to be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a 14-day quarantine when crossing the border from the United States. The US has put a similar policy in place for truckers.

Coutts Mayor Jim Willett told The Canadian Press that there were about 100 trucks in the blockade on Highway 4. Rajan Sawhney, the UCP MLA for Calgary-North East, tweeted on Monday that some 50 to 100 truckers have been stuck on the US side since Saturday.

“Some have not eaten, others have medical issues,” she said.

In a Sunday statement, the RCMP said officers had asked the protesters to “clear the area” as the event was “illegal,” but those demands had not been heeded as of Monday.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said in a statement Sunday that the blockade is “causing significant inconvenience to lawful motorists and could dangerously impede movement of emergency service vehicles.”

The premier added that the blockade violates the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. The province also has the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act, which it passed in 2020 after widespread demonstrations in support of Indigenous rights blocked railways across the country.

A statement from Alex Puddifant, a spokesperson for Alberta’s justice minister, said the latter act “does not ban protests and demonstrations, nor does it restrict lawful protests or prevent anyone from exercising their constitutionally protected rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.”

It does, however, allow for some hefty penalties to be levied if highways and other critical infrastructure are being blocked. Individuals can face fines of up to $ 10,000 for a first offense or $ 25,000, as well as jail time.

“It is at the discretion of police, who are independent in their decision making, to determine how they will address the blockade,” said Puddifant.

Alberta’s NDP leader Rachel Notley also condemned the blockade in a statement on Sunday.

“The blockade of emergency vehicles to Albertans in need, and the disruption in the flow of vital goods through our major transportation corridor, is both dangerous and disgraceful,” Notley said in a statement.

The Canada Border Services Agency said that the Coutts crossing is open but as there is no vehicle access, it advises travelers to use other ports of entry.

Willett told the Star during an interview that he hopes the blockade is cleared up because taking someone’s rights and privileges away in order to protest is “not OK.”

RCMP were attempting to negotiate with those in the blockade about a path forward as of Monday morning, added Willett: “To quote one (officer) … ‘We’re getting impatient.'”

“I mean, it does not take a rocket surgeon to figure out that sooner or later something’s going to get a little more pushy than it is right now.”