The Convoy's Early Timeline

Brigitte, Chris, Tamara, and Benjamin. Two women, two men, three provinces.

As two previously published books explain in their first chapter, the Freedom Convoy began with Brigitte Belton. She’s a 52-year-old cross-border trucker married to a trucker, who resides 40 minutes south of Sarnia, Ontario.

For Brigitte, a harrowing experience with border guards while crossing back into Canada in November 2021 was the last straw. Online she began connecting with others concerned about government overreach and the upcoming trucker vaccine mandate.

She chatted with Chris Barber, a 46-year-old trucker in Saskatchewan with a significant social media presence. Together they tossed around ideas as the calendar year ended and the new one began. A plan took shape, word spread with the help of many voices from many provinces, and matters began to snowball.

Tamara Lich entered the picture in mid January. Aged 49 and of Métis descent, she lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta, works in the oil and gas sector, and has a network of contacts due to her anti-carbon-tax activism. Her parents own a trucking business.

Tamara got in touch with Chris and offered to help. On January 14th, she set up an official convoy Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a GoFundMe campaign. Donations took off like a rocket. While drafting a press release soon afterwards, she realized they’d need additional assistance.

On January 18th, Tamara contacted a media-savvy podcast producer she knew in Toronto. Aged 46 and Jewish, Benjamin Dichter had recently become a part-time cross border trucker himself. On the spot, he accepted Tamara’s invitation to be the official convoy spokesperson.

Four days later, the first trucks set out on their journey. History was about to be made.

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It’s worth noticing that the quartet described above live in small town Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and right downtown in Canada’s largest city. Two women, two men. Two rolled up their sleeves for COVID vaccines, two declined to do so. One person is aboriginal, one is Jewish.

These are not people who could plausibly be considered racist, anti-woman, or anti-vax. But that’s how Canada’s Prime Minister would soon describe them. And the media went along for the ride.