(CJME News staff)

By Britton Gray/ CJME News

Sask. Trucking Association doesn’t support blockades, says provincial borders remain open

Feb 14, 2022 | 1:49 PM

The Saskatchewan Trucking Association is keeping a close eye on how ongoing blockades and protests are affecting its industry.

Trucks from a convoy have been parked in Ottawa for weeks and border crossings at Coutts, Alta., Emerson, Man., and Windsor, Ont. have seen blockades.

The one at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit appears to have been dealt with as police cleared it and made a number of arrests.

But the ones in Alberta and Manitoba remain issues for truckers.

Saskatchewan Trucking Association executive director Susan Ewart said the association has fielded a number of calls about the ongoing situation.

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“We support the right to a peaceful protest — I think that’s every Canadian’s right — but we certainly didn’t want to see those protests impede traffic or safety or those types of things,” Ewart told Gormley on Monday. “It’s escalating in maybe some of the ways we didn’t want to see happen.”

She said with Saskatchewan being a landlocked province, it’s important to keep goods moving on the roads.

“Using those border crossings is very important for our members. We’re hearing from members that it definitely is slowing things down (and) creating a lot of disruption,” Ewart said. “But the trucking industry is very good at adapting.

“In Saskatchewan, it has been pretty good. I understand there was a bit of a protest at the Regway crossing on the weekend that was very peaceful and they didn’t block the border, which is great. Nothing has been happening at North Portal and we’ve been in contact with people there.”

Ewart said there are a lot of people across Canada who are tired of COVID restrictions.

“I think it’s wearing on people. I certainly support the right to protest but do it in a matter that is safe and not impeding traffic or the safety of others,” Ewart said.

“I think people are just fed up at this particular point that provinces are different. Our regulations here are different than other provinces (and) it can become very confusing to operate a business such as trucking when there are different mandates in different places.”

Ewart pointed out there are federal mandates that affect the industry when it comes to border crossing.

But with the delays, it’s consumers who will suffer from them.

“Those costs will be passed along to us at some point,” Ewart said.