Abundance of Accolades

'We stand with you, as you stand up for Canada!'

New Brunswick trucker Travis Macleod lifts the lid of a clear plastic box. Inside are "some of the remnants that people gave me. Kids were coming to the truck, bringing stuff. It was overwhelming. It really was. The peace, the love."

He holds up a card decorated with a heart, a feather, and the word HOPE in full caps. Next there's a child's drawing of the Canadian flag, surrounded by pink hearts, with 'Thank you' printed neatly underneath.

Another note declares: "You are making history. We support you." Next, Leonard and Suzanna have signed their names in childlike scripts below the words "with love and gratitude." Now Travis picks up an index card. It reads: "We stand with you, as you stand up for Canada!"

On lined school paper, a message to "Dear Mr and Mrs Trucker" says: "My name is Maia. I am 8 years old...I hope you enjoy your snack. It's my favourite snack." At the bottom there's a drawing of a truck.

Kelly-Ann (who's "11 years old from Quebec") begins: "Thank you truckers, for standing up for our freedom. I have not been to my grandma's hous for now 3 years because she lives in the U.S.A." On the bottom quarter of the page Kelly-Ann has also drawn a truck.

Inside a homemade card eight members of the Cameron family have signed their names. Each person appears to have contributed one sentence on the facing page: "You are so brave, kind, and cool. God Bless you...We are praying for you. Here is a joke, What did the buffalo say to his son when he was going to school? bi-son."

This barely scratches the surface of Travis' box of accolades. "They're just precious," he says. "I can't get rid of them."

continues tomorrow

next installment: We Got This Corner, We're Not Giving It Up
Part 1: What Were People Thinking?