Another year, another Freedom Convoy – it appears one of the top stories from 2022 is making a Groundhog Day-style reappearance. Maybe.
At this point, the future of Freedom Convoy 2.0 is up in the air, with some top people saying plans for an event in Ottawa and Winnipeg have been cancelled, while others are saying the event is still a go.
One problem could be that a number of the organizers still face charges for the original event that saw protesters take over downtown Ottawa for much of February. Bail conditions prevent them from re-entering Ottawa.
Another could be that the movement is simply running out of steam, not to mention money.
What began as a protest against COVID-19 restrictions – masking, vaccinations and the rest of it – occurred as plans for ending those restrictions were on the verge of being implemented.
In case no one has noticed, it has been quite a while since there was a tizzy over who was wearing, or not wearing a mask. COVID is still around but has become like seasonal influenza. We get our flu shot – or not; we get our COVID shot – or not. No one but our doctor cares, assuming we have one.
Truckers have many excellent reasons to be working, instead of cruising to Ottawa and Winnipeg, burning fuel that costs way too much and risking fines they can ill afford, for a cause that seems to have drifted, if not off the radar screen, then close to it.
What would Freedom Convoy 2.0 accomplish? Remind the residents of downtown Ottawa of endless days and nights of honking horns and diesel fumes? Remind the truckers and protesters of the anger and frustration that fueled their actions? Remind everyone who watched the events of February 2022 unfold how easily a group of protesters, funded from heaven-knows-where, took over our nation’s capital, how much it cost to root them out of their encampment, and how many uncomfortable pieces of information were revealed during the federal inquiry into the event?
It would do all of the above, and turn back the clock to a time the people of this nation need to put behind us.
Forgetting COVID-19 is neither possible nor beneficial – there were too many promises to implement desperately needed improvements to hospital and long-term care, vows made to reduce Canada’s dependence on foreign contracts for such essentials as vaccines and personal protective equipment, and discussions on how to make this nation more resilient, for us to get on with life as if nothing had happened. A lot happened. Thousands died and many more became ill. Children lost what amounted to at least a year of education. Many businesses closed their doors.
Although normal events and activities have resumed, this is not the same country as it was before COVID. The days of low interest rates and skyrocketing real estate are over. The pandemic revealed and exacerbated faults in our health-care system, social safety net and economy that are in desperate need of attention.
That said, we have reached the point where it is essential that we take the lessons learned during COVID and move forward.
There is much work to be done at the federal, provincial, municipal and personal levels, primarily involving getting this country back on track. Helping the growing number of people who are homeless or facing that possibility in the near future, who have difficulty accessing timely and effective health care, who are losing the fight to pay their bills – or all of the above – will take a strong effort from all levels of government as well as the general public.
There is an old truth, that nothing good can come from walking forward while looking backward. Instead of keeping our eyes focused on a single event, however dramatic, in a continuing Groundhog Day loop, it is time to leave the Freedom Convoy protest in 2022 and get on with 2023.
The divisiveness that characterized Freedom Convoy 2022 can only hold us back from achieving our goals as a nation, and as individuals.
