The Freedom Rally saw supporters gathering at both bridges in the Battlefords Wednesday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By battlefordsNOW staff

COVID-19 protocols

Battlefords group shows support for Freedom Convoy

Feb 10, 2022 | 5:00 AM

A Freedom Rally gathered at the Battlefords bridges Wednesday afternoon waving signs and flags as many passing motorists honked in support.

Local resident Valerie Carter said the group wants to show their solidarity with the Freedom Convoy truckers in Ottawa who are calling for an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions.

She said while the province has plans to open up soon, that should be just the start.

“This is a federal issue,” Carter said. “We’re here fighting the federal government. [Saskatchewan Premier] Scott Moe has stepped up to the plate; I’m very proud of him, and thankful, very thankful. But there is a lot more that needs to be done.”

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Carter said after two years of restrictions, it’s time to get back to normal.

She pointed out she would like to see Canada’s travel restrictions end especially.

Battleford resident Chance Beatch said removing the COVID-19 vaccine mandates is only part of the issue. He hopes the rally helps get people talking.

“It’s to create awareness of a lot of things. It’s more than the mandates that’s for sure,” he said.

The rally participants said they have been following the truckers’ convoy in Ottawa, now in its second week, and are hoping it brings results across the nation to lift restrictions.

In a battlefordsNOW poll on how people feel about the
Re-opening Saskatchewan Plan, 80 per cent of respondents were supportive, 20 per cent opposed, and one per cent were unsure.

Some local unions spoke out against the province’s re-opening plan.

Recent press releases from Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Saskatchewan branch and Saskatchewan Federation of Labour were critical of Premier Scott Moe’s decision, saying it puts public workers at risk following pressure from trucker protests “despite opposition from frontline workers.”

First Nation leaders are also concerned about the provincial government’s plan to lift restrictions.

The organization that represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan is asking the provincial government to reconsider ending COVID-19 health mandates and protocols in Saskatchewan, claiming it puts First Nations communities at increased risk.

According to a a joint statement issued by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC), Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (BATC), and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC), First Nations are one of the most vulnerable populations in the province, and ending the public health protocols will only increase outbreaks and emergencies in their communities.

“We are not prepared to put the lives of our families at risk,” FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow