Mirroring some of their counterparts in Ottawa, truckers on Vancouver Island are part of a convoy protesting mandated vaccines.
A procession passed along the highway by Woodgrove Centre at about 9:45 a.m. and according to information from Convoy 4 Truckers, the convoy was anticipated to arrive at Victoria in time for a noon rally at the legislature.
“Freedom over fear,” “Mandate Freedom,” “Thank you truckers,” and “Freedom of Choice” were among the signs on vehicles.
A similar situation is taking place with a convoy of trucks and crowds gathered around Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
RELATED: Thousands gather in Ottawa, speaking against vaccine mandates
Kevin Brett, one of the organizers of the Victoria rally, told Black Press the intention is to see more discussion on the effectiveness and necessity of public health mandates.
[The pandemic] is obviously a serious health matter, but it is also obvious that the mandates, the lockdowns, all of these things are doing more harm than good,” Brett said. “There is a question that they are not legal as well, so there definitely needs to be a debate about that too.”
Brett also said mandates for vaccination, including those directing people crossing borders be fully vaccinated, are “causing harm,” as people are losing their jobs due to their vaccination status.
Earlier in the month, the federal government mandated vaccines for truckers crossing the Canada-U.S. border, despite the Canada Border Services Agency stating Canadian truckers would be exempt. Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s health minister, subsequently said the CBSA statement was “provided in error.”
According to the B.C. Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 update, there were 264 new cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region with a total of 1,654.
-with files from The Canadian Press and Black Press
RELATED: Thousands gather at B.C. Legislature against pandemic mandates
RELATED: ‘Freedom convoy’ protest rolls through Ladysmith
RELATED: Supporters greet Ottawa-bound vaccine mandate-protest convoy
RELATED: Ottawa proceeds with trucker vaccine mandate