Group rallies in Simcoe County as 'Freedom Convoy' rolls down Highway 400
Hundreds of people gathered at the Innisfil Beach Road ONroute Thursday morning in solidarity with the so-called 'Freedom Convoy.'
The group plans on travelling southbound along Highway 400 to meet up with another gathering in Vaughan.
The truckers began a cross-country trip from British Columbia to Ottawa over the weekend, protesting the mandate requiring truckers travelling across the Canada- U.S. border to be vaccinated.
Several participants in the demonstration say it's also about various other policies that they feel infringe on their freedoms.
They warn that the vaccine mandate for truckers would leave store shelves bare.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the protest included a "small fringe minority of people" who "are holding unacceptable views" that "do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other."
Many who took part in the protest Thursday said they were vaccinated, including Carla Seaward who lost her husband to COVID-19.
"We stayed away from everybody. We did our thing, and I still lost him at 49-years-old, so you know what, the entire country is suffering, and it's time for us to come together because enough is enough."
Nearly every overpass along the highway was crowded with supporters waving Canadian flags.
"I feel it's right that we come and do our due diligence to support what we feel and what we want," said Jamie Robinson.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance has said it is not involved with the protest, noting roughly 15 per cent of truckers are not fully vaccinated.
As the protest moves through the region, the OPP cautions motorists travelling along Highway 400, Highway 11 and Highway 401 Thursday through Saturday to prepare for slowdowns.
"The OPP encourages everyone on the roads to be patient and respectful of each other despite potential inconvenience related to the protest convoy," OPP tweeted Thursday morning.
GO Transit also warns of possible delays due to congested traffic along major routes.
For those who can't attend the protests at the nation's capital, another slow-moving convoy is scheduled to take place in Barrie on Saturday.
With files from CP24's Chris Fox
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.