Wondrous Winnipeg
'I tell you, man, that’s the best backup I’ve ever been in.'
read Part 1: Fireworks & Applause previous installment: Hutterite Country
It’s three in the afternoon on Day 2 of Ted and Sally’s Freedom Convoy adventure. They’re approaching the outskirts of Winnipeg, and traffic has slowed to a crawl.
Earlier, Ted has explained that a group of Hutterites have spent the past three days preparing four roast pigs. They’d intended to serve the Freedom Convoy a hot meal when it stopped in Winnipeg. Over the trucker radio someone reports: “There are hundreds and hundreds of Hutterites here, with multiple, multiple things full of food.”
Word spreads that the designated truck stop is now blocked off by the police. The Hutterites have gone to Plan B. They’re going to drive 2-and-a-half hours east (200 km or 125 miles), cross into Ontario, and set up in the town of Kenora (population 15,000).
The two-way radio being used by the truckers has limited range. Ted relays the message down the line, “Rolling straight through to Kenora.”
A trucker replies: “I’ve gotta find a fuel stop here. I’ve got a quarter of a tank, I won’t make Kenora.”
As they inch along, it becomes clear one of the reasons for the slow pace is that crowds have gathered up ahead. The truckers near the front are talking about “people everywhere…it is lined up on both sides…Power to the people, power to the people.”
Over the next ninety minutes, they make almost no progress. Sally notices a drone in the sky above them. Presumably it’s privately owned and is recording video of the Convoy. The lane to their left is moving marginally faster. Beside them, a girl who looks to be in her early teens rolls down the window of the car in which she’s riding and shouts up at Ted “Thank you!”
He gallantly shouts out his own window, “The pleasure’s all mine!” A man is walking between the lanes of stalled traffic with a box of homebaked treats. Ted reaches down and grabs a couple, “Thanks, brother!”
When Sally takes a bite, she says they’ll need “to wait a little bit. It’s kind of frozen” due to the frosty outdoor temperature. Soon there’s a female voice at her window, “Here’s some cookies.” Dressed in a reflective vest and wearing thick mittens, the woman also hands them three sandwiches, separately packaged in plastic bags. The label says ‘Ham & Cheese.’ On a second label, a Bible verse has been printed.
Several minutes later another woman, her pickup parked on the shoulder, reaches up with bottles of water. The time crawls by. From the chatter on the trucker radio two themes emerge: caution and wonder.
Just keep her going slow…Be patient guys, be patient. Take your time, watch out…Be careful…
and:
There’s people handing out food in the middle of the road…This is unbelievable…It sure puts a lump in your throat, doesn’t it?…If there’s a dry eye, I don’t know…They’re giving us food and money, oh my God…
…I got enough pepperoni here to last the rest of the journey…When you get close to [the truck stop] you’re gonna get pelted with food if you have your window open…This is just crazy…
…I tell you, man, that’s the best backup I’ve ever been in. The people showed up here in Winnipeg, that whole highway’s just full of people…Thank you Winnipeg for all this support.
next installment: Wildest Ride Ever
Thank you truckers and thank you to the people of Winnipeg and thank you Donna for reminding me again today there are MANY Canadians fighting back!
All of us that had the tiniest doubts about the Covid lockdown drew fresh inspiration to fight from the truckers.