As nighttime began to settle in Regina on Monday, a symphony of semi-truck and vehicle horns were heard on the outskirts of the provincial capital city.
It was at the Regina Bypass where hundreds of trucks and other vehicles rolled through and were greeted by supporters who braved the cold weather to welcome the truckers to town.
A long line of truck headlights shimmer at night as they roll down the Regina Bypass on Monday.
Jason Wood / Global News
Members of the “freedom convoy” are against the Canadian government’s vaccine mandate activated on Jan. 15, which requires cross-border truckers coming into Canada to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
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The convoy, which started its journey in BC, has grown in numbers as it makes its way towards Ottawa.
“A lot of people are trying to say that these type of things are done out of anger, but this is actually being done out of frustration towards the things the government is imposing upon Canadian citizens,” said a man named Trevor who spoke to Global News when the convoy passed through the Balgonie area. He declined to provide his full name due to the controversial nature of the story.
“The amount of trucks involved and the amount of people showing up here, this shows the frustrations of Canadians and it’s going to continue to grow.”
Justin Keller, who met up with the convoy in North Battleford, Sask., Said it’s time for change.
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He said it has been an emotional experience traveling through and seeing support from others who are in support of their movement.
“The support and love coming down here through all these little towns is phenomenal,” said Keller. “People want this. You can see it on their faces with the emotions. It’s pretty epic. ”
Regina Conservative MPs Andrew Scheer and Warren Steinley made an appearance to greet the group and show their support.
A still image is captured showing Regina — Qu’Appelle Conservative MP Andrew Scheer shaking hands with an individual as the trucker convoy passed through on Monday night in Regina.
Jason Wood / Global News
On Monday, Premier Scott Moe called the vaccine mandate “unnecessary” and said its implementation will have “significant impacts” when accessing essential services.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) posted a statement this past weekend saying the vaccination rate among drivers in the country’s trucking industry closely mirrors that of the general public.
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However, the CTA also stated it “does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways and bridges.”
“CTA believes such actions – especially those that interfere with public safety – are not how disagreements with government policies should be expressed,” reads the statement from the CTA.
“Members of the trucking industry who want to publicly express displeasure over government policies can choose to hold an organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill or contact their local MP. What is not acceptable is disrupting the motoring public on highways and commerce at the border. ”
The convoy left from Saskatoon on Monday afternoon where they were greeted by a large crowd of supporters as well.
Trucks were seen leaving from Regina on Tuesday morning as they continued down Highway 1 towards the nation’s capital.
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