The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) on Thursday said individuals engaged in preventing vehicles from crossing into Canada and the United States are not “peaceful protesters” as that term should not be applied to activities preventing the flow of essential goods by those who have illegally seized control and impede access to public infrastructure. 

The vehicle blockades spreading across border points and highways throughout the country are costing shippers and retailers significant losses while also impairing the hard work of truck drivers who continue to keep essential goods moving throughout the supply chain, the CTA said in a press release.

Blockades at the Ambassador Bridge in Ontario and at the Coutts border crossing in Alberta have been snarling up commercial traffic for days and on Thursday protesters blocked the Emerson border crossing in Manitoba.

Emerson border crossing shut

The Manitoba RCMP Thursday said the Emerson border crossing into the U.S. is shut due to a demonstration involving a large number of vehicles and farm equipment blocking the highway. “No traffic is getting through either northbound or southbound. Please avoid the area,” the Mounties tweeted.

Canadians should also keep in mind that many of these vehicles and individuals involved in the blockades are not operating heavy trucks or are associated with the trucking industry, the CTA said.

CTA president Stephen Laskowski  said, “The patience of drivers and the vast majority of the trucking industry regarding these blockades has long-since expired.

Drivers who are trying to make a living and get home to their families have been stuck at blocked border crossings for four to eight hours, many of whom have gone without access to washrooms or food. 

 “Many of those who are protesting having their lives disrupted by certain policies are, in turn, ironically disrupting the lives of their fellow Canadians,” said Laskowski. “Whether it’s the dedicated truck driver who’s stuck at the border and unable to get home to his or her family; or the factory worker who is sent home from work because critical products and raw materials aren’t being delivered, the only people who these blockades hurt are the hard-working Canadians who have kept our nation moving.”      

He added, “This is simply not sustainable for the industry, its customers, and ultimately, the consumer.”   The CTA called on all levels of government across Canada to put an action plan in place to end current blockades and prevent future disruptions at the nation’s ports of entry and the critical road infrastructure leading to critical trade arteries.