THUNDER BAY – Paige Johnson says after two years, it’s time to end COVID-19 mandates and restrictions and let people get back to living normal lives.
The Thunder Bay woman joined hundreds of protesters on Saturday afternoon at Marina Park, a gathering of like-minded people who adorned their vehicles with signs ranging from ‘Freedom’ and ‘Your Body, Your Choice,’ to ‘Let’s Go Brandon,’ a derogatory term aimed at U.S. President Joe Biden.
Johnson was one of handful in attendance who made her way to the Pigeon River border crossing, not to blockade as has been the case elsewhere in Ontario in recent days, but to protest the freedoms she feels she’s lost over the past two years because she won’t get vaccinated.
While she’s encouraged that moves to lift mandates are being made in Alberta and Saskatchewan, she’s not so confident Ontario will keep pace.
“We have been on a plan to reopen for quite some time. Two weeks to flatten the curve has turned into two years. We are now sitting at a point where nobody believes what the government is saying and it’s hard to talk to the media too,” Johnson said.
She just wants to be heard.
Johnson said the public listened to the government in the early stages of the pandemic, but after two years, restrictions and mandates are proving to be too costly, family members dying alone, children being forced to wear masks in school and vaccination required to return to the country quarantine-free, or by rail or air within Canada.
“A lot of us feel that these mandates are not benefiting at this point. It’s causing a lot of mental health (issues) in our children, a lot of physical health as well,” said Johnson, noting her daughter isn’t able to visit her father in London, Ont. because she can’t travel without being vaccinated.
It’s had other impacts on her life, she added.
“I didn’t get a vaccine and I felt very bullied out of a workplace. I felt very bullied out of society because every topic of conversation became ‘Are you vaccinated?’ You cruise, out of curiosity, a dating app and it’s double-vaccinated. Then to be called a racist or a misogynist or a tyrant by the government, it sucks, because you’re just trying to stand up for the fact you don’t want to take this vaccine,” Johnson said.
About eight of the estimated 100 to 150 vehicles made the trek to the Pigeon River border crossing, where they were greeted by four OPP cruisers controlling access to the highway adjacent to Canadian customs to prevent a possible blockade from being set up.
Other vehicles in the convoy made their way to Waverly Park for a rally, similar to one held there are week earlier.
At least one counter-protester met the convoy at the waterfront and said she heard there was going to be an anti-mandate gathering and wanted to push back, even if it was only by standing at the traffic circle with a sign.
“I’m not part of any group of or affiliation, but I’ve looked into this and one of the things I’ve heard is they’ve got a mandate out calling for the dissolution of Parliament. Under the criminal code of Canada … using force or violence trying to overthrow the legal government is treason,” said the woman, who only gave the name Nadine, saying she was concerned for her safety.
There were no signs of violence and only minimal heckling of local media arriving on the scene.
