By Reed Elley.

We are witnessing an unprecedented event in Canadian history, the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa. Another unprecedented event, however, has led to this one: 2 years of government mandates and lockdowns because of Covid. Most Canadians would agree that the virus is a threat to our health and wellbeing. But what we may truly be objecting to is the uneven application of health regulations across the nation. We have seen an unwarranted number of mandates being used across the country, resulting in the arrest of many people, even Christian pastors. We have seen the shutdown of small businesses and churches. The lockdown has resulted in extensive mental health issues and even in suicides. Our economy is faltering, and inflation has seen a huge increase.

The last straw for many, particularly truckers, was the federal government’s  mandate that all truckers should be vaccinated. A mere 18% had not already been vaccinated. Covid fatigue in the general population created a situation in which the Truckers Convoy acted as a lightning rod that attracted more and more Canadians who believed that the government had gone too far.

We have witnessed a huge phenomena, a truly unusual event in Canadian history. Thousands of Canadians have woken up from their lethargy and joined the convoy on its way to Ottawa. People wondered what the government’s response to the occupation of Parliament Hill would be. Would they be reasonable, sit down and talk with citizens? No. Instead the Prime Minister engaged them from a distance calling them Nazis, right wing extremists and bigots who were unlawfully engaging in an act of insurrection. This only inflamed the situation!

Meanwhile Trudeau declared that he had Covid and withdrew from Parliament Hill. He used this as an excuse to avoid the protestors. Instead of acting as he should have, he acted like a dictator intent on enforcing his will on the people, and while he did so the protestors continued their peaceful resistance to government control. Thousands of people gathered, and hundreds of trucks and other vehicles blockaded the Hill, and they showed remarkable restraint in the face of verbal and sometimes physical provocation.

In a last desperate attempt to make the protestors leave, Trudeau invoked the Emergency Measures Act which, if passed by Parliament, will give the government unprecedented powers to take away Canadian rights and freedoms. If it passes it will have grave consequences for our nation, and will only serve to inflame resistance to the government’s draconian treatment of its citizens.

There has been major public opposition to the EMA. Seven of ten premiers have publicly said it is not necessary. A constitutional challenge to the Act is imminent. In the meantime, provinces are lifting the vaccine mandates, and there have already been peaceful resolutions to the border blockades. Ontario premier Ford recently announced the dropping of his provincial mandate, saying “We have had enough.” And, as individual Canadians, many of us have been contacting our MPS imploring them to vote against the EMA at this crucial hour in our history.

When we look back several years from now, what will we see about this time in our history? Will we realize that we were at a crossroads? Will we be living in a total dictatorship where the government can control everything we do? Or will we have won back the freedoms we have under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? We sing “God keep our land glorious and free.” I pray to God that will truly be the case.