Jonker Brotherhood
12 big rigs associated with this family business took part in the Freedom Convoy.
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, road captain Harold Jonker invites the crowd to sing the national anthem before the trucks begin their journey to Ottawa. Video recorded by Tim Jonker.
Jonker Trucking is located 45 minutes from Niagara Falls and the United States border. Started by George Jonker in 1993, it's currently run by sons Harold and Tim, and son-in-law Jeff. Jointly, they're responsible for a fleet of 20 trucks that haul whatever fits on a flatbed. Steel, bricks, shingles, train parts. Half of their trucks belong to the company, the other half to owner-operators.
A few weeks ahead of time, Harold agreed to serve as the primary contact person for an arm of the Freedom Convoy that would head to Ottawa from the Niagara region. From that point onward, he says, "the phone, the emails, the texts were non-stop." So many people wanted info, so many people wanted to help.
"Some were telling me 'You're our last hope. You're going to save us.'" Harold didn't see it that way, but he's haunted by one of those callers who seemed especially distressed. "I should have told her, 'Come visit us. You need to get out.' I couldn't find her number, again. That's how busy the phone was."
Jonker is a Dutch name, with the ‘J’ pronounced as in John. Those now running the business are the offspring of Dutch immigrants who came to Canada as children in the aftermath of World War II. Christian faith is important in their rural corner of Ontario. So is family. Harold and his wife have 13 children. Tim is the father of five kids, Jeff of seven.
Harold says all their drivers were told, "This is what we're doing. You're welcome to come. You can drive your vehicle if you're a company driver." Some employees opted to stay home and continue working. He himself drove a sand-coloured 2015 Freightliner Argosy. Called a 'cab over,' its snubnose design is more common in Europe. The driver sits above the engine, rather than behind, which makes for a shorter tractor-trailer overall. "I put it on the highway temporarily. Got it licensed just to go to Ottawa with it," says Harold.
In total, 12 Jonker big rigs took part in the Freedom Convoy. A team of volunteers spent a week constructing large protest signs out of acrylic and lumber that were then secured to the back of their bobtails. The sign on Harold's truck declared "God provides food. Government prevents delivery."
Another said: "End all mandates. Let me work." A third: "We are doing this for everyone's freedom."
A sign in the back of the pickup driven to Ottawa by the company's founder, 75-year-old George, read: "Live by faith, not fear."
On Thursday, January 27th, Harold's wife was in the passenger seat beside him when he pulled into Fort Erie at 6:30 am. This was the first gathering spot. He couldn't tell how many trucks awaited, they were too numerous to count.
The next stop was Niagara-on-the-Lake, 45 minutes away. "That's where these ladies served us breakfast. Burritos and coffee," he remembers. "The truck stop was full, the side of the road was packed with cars and pickups and flags. You didn't know who was gonna follow you."
next installment: Worried About Driving Over Somebody
One of the greatest chapters in the story. The Jonkers are the backbone of this country!
OK, I'm tearing up just reading this far and feeling the amazing vibe. This family hosted a breakfast in their massive garage many months later, which we attended. Same energy. They fed a giant group of people very nicely, had amusements for the kids, and generally did what trucker families obviously *can* do: make it all work. Good humour, gettin' it done ~ don't they make the managerial elites look just as incompetent as they have turned out to be. Love them all.