Several are in the process of removing health restrictions: England, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Spain, to name a few. The recent demonstrations in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden are evidence of a drunken boat that is rocking and taking on water. Inconsistencies, divisions, weariness. Everywhere, masks and shields are being lifted. The moment seems historic. The United Kingdom is choosing to live with the virus: no more mandatory mask-wearing, no more health passes, no more teleworking. In Germany, the emergency law is repealed, the vaccination requirement is set aside: "all Covid restrictions are null and void". In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez decreed on January 10, 2022: "I say NO to state malice": no more mass testing, no more contact tracing, no more masks and no more isolation. In the United States, last week, the Supreme Court overturned the vaccination requirement for companies with more than one hundred employees.

Meanwhile, Canada and Quebec are maintaining measures, even though we are among the most vaccinated in the world. In the province, the curfew and lockdown, reinstated on New Year's Eve, have only just been lifted; cafes, bars and restaurants will open in two phases on January 31 and February 7, limited to 50% of their capacity; gyms remain closed, performance venues will reopen on February 9; the vaccine passport is mandatory for all access to businesses over 1,500 square meters. The Legault government has even launched a strategy to convince the last 8% to get vaccinated, after talking about a health contribution to tax them more.

"The measures have never helped SMEs"

“The vast majority of SMEs have complied with the health measures imposed,” confirms Mr. Jasmin Guénette, Vice-President of National Affairs at the CFIB. “That said, the measures have never helped SMEs, which are limited in their ability to serve customers and meet their needs. Today, 70% of them have not yet reached a normal income and many are in debt. Everyone is tired. The two-week shutdown decreed in March 2020 has turned into two years.”

The same story from the Quebec Retail Council, which opposes the vaccine passport in non-essential businesses: "The members of the CQCD have respected the many measures already in place to control the pandemic, namely wearing masks, reducing the number of people in stores, and closing for three Sundays during the month of January, we can read in a press release dated January 6. It must be admitted that SMEs are among the big losers."

Supply disruption announced

For many, the measures have lasted long enough. The planned truckers' demonstration will undoubtedly cause other stock shortages in stores, like those of personal protective equipment, swimming pool accessories, sports equipment, construction materials and electronics that we have seen. Who will be blamed for the empty shelves? It is important to know that "the pandemic has taken supply chain issues to another level," according to Mr. Guénette. Before 2020, there were occasional delays in some sectors; today, it has become a structural problem. The measures affecting truckers will only aggravate what the pandemic has already created."

“We’re not helping ourselves by stopping trade across borders. The economies of Canada and the United States are integrated. Products move from one side of the border to the other during the various stages of production. And for SMEs, the main market for international expansion is first and foremost the United States. It’s not for nothing that truckers were considered essential workers,” says Mr. Guénette.

The fifth wave: truckers descend on Ottawa

The vaccine passport, a key tool to maintain Canada's economy according to federal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is rather considered a discriminatory and inconsistent control tool by truckers, who also remain in their cabs during deliveries. However, the Canadian Trucking Alliance has indicated that at least 85% of drivers are fully vaccinated. The others can no longer cross the border, neither on one side nor the other, since January 15, nor even between provinces (since four out of twelve require the vaccine passport), unless they undergo a fourteen-day quarantine.

This requirement, coupled with a shortage of truckers, was already creating a shortage on our shelves. What truckers see as a government encroachment on basic freedoms is the straw that broke the camel's back.

The Freedom Convoy 2022 is not an event like any other: it has already started and it is gigantic, from 30,000 to 70,000 trucks are expected, associated with thousands of American truckers. The convoy from Western Canada is already over 100 kilometers, that of Ontario, 30 km, and the Atlantic provinces as well. To finance the crossing, a crowdfunding campaign has raised more than five million dollars so far, an unprecedented amount. For the country, this is a major movement to show the federal government that there is a limit. Joanie Pelchat, head of the Quebec section, said: "The goal is the freedom to choose for each citizen. The convoy is not anti-vaccination, but the restrictions that penalize everyone have lasted long enough. Truckers are fighting for the rights and freedoms of all of us."

Businesses and professions are stepping out of line

Little by little, many people joined this large, peaceful, solidarity movement. Many groups formed outside the official associations and federations. "We can't rely on the unions, we have to come together ourselves," says one of the 112,000 members of Spotted Construction, created for the occasion. "We're starting the movement among ourselves. Many don't dare to speak out," says one of the groups of restaurateurs. A discourse of fear was established and many responded to interview requests anonymously.

Some support the movement by lending a helping hand, like the Douville Mécanique company, which offers its services to repair trucks for free if they break down on the way. Restaurateurs, like Oli, will open their doors to all truckers who pass by, without discrimination. Citizens, by the thousands, are gathered on the viaducts to support and thank them. A great wave of love is rising. Is this the final wave?

The vaccine passport is not going down well with many businesses and shops. In recent days, we have heard about hardware stores and Renaud Bray. Some are finding courage, buoyed by the scale of the event. Others had already decided to ignore the measures and open their doors on January 30 without asking for a QR code, regardless of the restrictions to which they are subject. Many are pleading for the survival of culture, restaurants, tourism, sports studios and all of our mental health. In any case, the convoy is on its way! The momentum is there. Many individuals and businesses that are out of breath are choosing to join it.