James Bauder, co-founder of the Canada Unity group and co-organizer of last February’s truck convoy, had agreed on Facebook on December 25th to announce the future rally.
Finally, accompanied by Ron Clark and Big Bear on Christmas Day, he announced in a Facebook Live video that after Ottawa, organizers would finally be targeting Winnipeg to demonstrate.
The rally will take place from February 17th to 20th, it said. This date is not trivial, as the police had ended a three-week occupation of the city center of the federal capital almost a year earlier. The operation began on the morning of Friday February 18, 2022.
We chose Winnipeg because it is the center of Canada. People can come from the east coast and the west coast and drive across the country, explained Ron Clark, co-organizer.
The organizers promise a peaceful rally
Organizers say it will be a peaceful gathering with speeches and lectures.
This is an opportunity to come together, we freedom loving people. It’s open to everyone, it’s an inclusive event, argued Serena Freedombear in another Facebook video, explaining that all groups are now united around the acronym TEAM, for Together Everyone Advances Mankind.
The organizers encourage people from across Canada and the United States to join them in a celebration of freedom.
James Bauder on his arrival at the Rouleau Commission (Archives)
Photo: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
However, the group also intends to give Ottawa residents a wink before heading to Winnipeg.
We’ll pass very close to Ottawa in our convoy, we’ll honk, and we’ll invite residents to join us, Mr. Bauder began.
Winnipeg police denied
A few days ago, Jonathan Mongrain, founder of the Quebec section of this movement, released a video update in which he reiterated that protesters in Quebec did not intend to attend Convoy 2.0 as it was relocated from the federal capital. However, Montgrain added that the Quebec branch may be organizing demonstrations across the province.
In 2022, the trucker convoy brought many people together in Ottawa. (Archive)
Photo: Radio Canada / Ivanoh Demers
Organizers of this possible Winnipeg rally have said they are already in contact with the Winnipeg Police Department, information which was refuted by Agent Jay Murray when contacted by Radio-Canada.
Although the holiday season is angering the police force somewhat, no representative from that group had contacted the Winnipeg Police Service as of Thursday, he assured Sunday.
The Ottawa Police Service (SPO), reached by Radio-Canada, had not responded to an interview request as of this writing.
However, its new boss Eric Stubbs had indicated almost a week ago that his team was organizing a possible trucker convoy in the federal capital and stated that he wanted to apply the zero-tolerance formula.
With information from Benjamin Vachet