Convoy participants meeting in Campbell River Saturday were directed to a vacant parcel of land near the ferry terminal.
“Our public-safety department had worked with the organizers and basically said coming downtown and in Spirit Square and along Shoppers Row is a no-go zone,” said Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams.
A number of people decided to head to Campbell River in convoy instead of converging on Victoria and the legislature, as they had done for weeks.
Police checkpoints to keep non-local traffic from the legislature and James Bay have curtailed convoy activity there since last weekend, and helped spur the decision to go elsewhere.
Adams said the public-safety department also worked with the organizers on a code of conduct, but details were not available.
He said the 3.5-acre rally site is pretty basic.
“It is an area that is unpaved,” he said. “It is gravel and dirt with no services, and is not eligible for any long-term or overnight parking or camping.”
Adams said there were no issues that he had been made aware of through late afternoon. He said there were about 50 vehicles gathered, mostly pickup trucks with flags but also a few big rigs and buses.
He said he was pleased that downtown merchants weren’t affected by the crowd, after all they have been through dealing with COVID-19 and its effect on business.
“Appreciative of the organizers working with our RCMP and our city staff to keep the rally in the intent that it was meant, to get their message out and not disrupt the community.”
A poster distributed by the B.C. Freedom Convoy 2022 dubbed its trip to Campbell River the Rooster River Run, with the general rule being “big rigs to the front, all others fall in behind.”
The starting point was listed as Saanich’s Hyacinth Park at 7 a.m., there was another meeting spot along West Shore Parkway at 7:15 a.m., followed by Duncan, Ladysmith, south Nanaimo, north Nanaimo, Parksville, Courtenay and Campbell River.
Under the heading Even Heroes Eat, people were urged to bring along some food for sharing.
Victoria police spokesman Bowen Osoko said he heard there was considerable honking as the group headed north. Comments on Facebook said the honking was bothering livestock.
Adams said he wonders what the convoy is about, since a number of COVID-related issues have been settled. “With the majority of the mandates being lifted I’m not really sure what the point is.”
Despite the northbound convoy, the legislature still attracted a crowd of about 150, many of them long-term supporters of the rallies there.
Police checkpoints were able to stop a number of non-local vehicles Saturday from trying to get to the legislature precinct, Osoko said.
He said a few tickets were issued, including one under terms of the city’s toughened bylaw for horn honking.
“A couple of counter-protesters showed up and so we had to do a bit of defusing.”
Standing by Belleville Street with a large Canadian flag, Dave Macmurchie said he gave some thought to going on the convoy to Campbell River but decided to stay in Victoria.
Macmurchie said the mask mandate might be gone but he still has concerns about COVID-19 rules. He said having jobs contingent on having the vaccine is “ridiculous.”
Like others there, he said he had to park some distance away and walk in.
“Every few hours I go plug the meter,” Macmurchie said.
Leslie-Anne Goodall said she has joined rallies at the legislature a number of times. People should be getting more information about vaccines and mandates, she said. “We’ve not been offered alternative treatment, we’ve not even been offered debate.”
She said that instead of debate from people “they just drive by and scream and flip us the bird.”
Goodall acknowledged that sometimes the message at the rallies doesn’t come across well “but emotions run high on both sides.”
The idea is to show up in numbers “with a peaceful attitude,” she said.
Cindy Kappert said having checkpoints set up is “comical” because the police are standing around bored.
She said that the lifting of mandates doesn’t mean the rallies should stop.
“It’s something we still have to keep an eye on.”
Most of the group at the legislature walked through downtown during the afternoon but caused only short traffic delays, Osoko said.
