Freedom Convoy

Being in the nation's capital can lead to some...interesting adventures.

This past week Ottawa has been the focus of the Freedom Convoy, which originally started out as a protest against cross-border trucking vaccination and has now morphed into a more general protest against all things COVID-related.

Although many would say that my neighbourhood, Hintonburg, is "in the city", it's actually a good 30 minute walk from downtown. That's pretty far from Parliament Hill, where the protest has been focused.

For the most part then, this has meant that I haven't really seen or heard much of the protest.

I did have a couple of surreal moments though. In particular, when I picked up Margot from horseback riding this past Saturday I happened to see a line of trucks driving into the city. It was so odd seeing semi after slow moving semi driving on the highway that I stopped and watched.

Even crazier, to get back home Margot and I tried to take a side road. Unfortunately that just happened to be the road that the police had diverted the trucks onto as they made their way downtown. So for 5 minutes or so I was in the convoy!

I know that some folks have been really affected by all the noise related to this convoy and to them this is no laughing matter. But to me, it feels like everything is happening...on TV. 

The strange thing about the timing of all this is that things are looking up. Restaurants, cinemas and gyms have been allowed to re-open and except for wearing masks and having to be vaccinated to use in-person entertainment, there is very little you can't do.

Hang in there everyone - spring is just around the corner!