I got an awesome chance to travel to Ottawa and experience the current situation there. It was a bitterly cold day and doing some great photography wasn’t really an option, but I was able to snap something to share with whoever may stumble upon this gallery. I made some vegan sandwiches for the truckers and handed them out thanks to my dear close ones. It was a wonderful chance to meet the people who are fighting for Canadian freedom.
Below is a little overview of what I saw accompanying the photos I took.
As of today, Canada Freedom Convoy has been in Ottawa for 12 days. This wide protest has largely paralyzed Ottawa’s everyday life. Large trucks have completely blocked the main streets around government buildings. All trucks etc., are decorated with Canadian flags and with slogans calling to end all mandates. Some drivers allow you to leave your wish on their car or truck. This offer has been diligently used by visitors.
It is a peaceful protest. Truck drivers have promised not to leave until the mandates have been revoked. Every day, a large number of people go to support their mission. The view that one will see in Ottawa during the weekend is more reminiscent of a fun family event with an exhibition of powerful trucks, cars and tractors from 2019 when people moved in crowded places without a mask and kept a 6 feet distance. Visitors come every day to support with red and white flags and self-made posters. Many of them have put together small aid packages, made sandwiches and baked cookies, which they kindly handed into the bare hands that fell from the truck windows. It was possible to talk to the truck drivers, shake hands, honk their truck horns, sit in the cab and hug them. The messages shared were loving, supportive, emotional – people all seemed to breathe and think the same.
With the help of supporters, several million dollars have been raised to support the truck drivers. There are food tents at the larger intersections, which offer a wide range of food items, as well as clothing, wool socks, books, batteries, household paper, propane and coal, and of course fuel. There are various counters set up on the initiative of citizens offering hot food, where everyone, in addition to food, can pamper themselves with hot coffee and hot cocoa. The weather in Canada has been cold and snowy for some time, so this kind of interaction and support is very heart-warming. -16 degrees but sunny weather did not seem to keep anyone away from experiencing this historic moment during the weekend. Rather people seemed to be coming in with the temperature dropping and the evening arriving. On the big stage in front of the parliament building, the program took place from morning to night with musical performers and speeches, dances to keep the cold away. Those who needed some extra warmth entered the subway stations to rub their cold feet.
For Estonian times like these in Ottawa are reminded of the times of liberation from the rigid regime of the Soviet Union, when people came together to support each other and their views and joined hands in the Baltic Chain. Will the wish of Canadians be fulfilled, as of the Estonians at that time, only the future will show. In the meantime, a nice family event with plenty of food, support, and visitors will continue in Ottawa at its own pace.
