In a news conference on February 10, Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, Ontario pointed out how problematic it is to break up the truck blockade to the Ambassador Bridge, the most heavily travelled route from Canada to the United States. The truckers are on a municipal road.  

The question of jurisdictions is at the crux of what police force can be brought to bear on the “Freedom Convoy” that has crippled downtown Ottawa, the border crossings at Coutts Alberta and Emerson Manitoba and now the Ambassador Bridge in Ontario. Windsor’s request for an injunction is being sought that would allow police, with reinforcements, to remove the protesters. 

“These trucker blockades are the most challenging issue we’ve faced during the pandemic,” says Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA).  “We know of examples of truckers raising fees from $1800 to $4,000 per trip, while supporting the blockade at the same time.”

CPMA is currently working with allied partners – retailers, independent grocers, the Ontario Food Terminal, for example – to urge provincial and federal governments to end the blockade as quickly as possible. CPMA is a signatory with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, asking government authorities for legal action.  Otherwise, catastrophic effects will be felt in a week.

Already, the blockades are affecting trade in perishable produce where truckers have spent an additional six to 24 hours delivering their loads. This situation is compounded by the need for labour to regrade product. In some cases, wholesalers are noting three times more waste. 

For Lemaire, the long-term implications are already clear. Will the U.S. look to Canada as a reliable trading partner?  Will the U.S. repatriate some of its business activity in Canada?

In the next few days, look to the Windsor-Essex region, a powerhouse for greenhouse vegetable production.

“The greenhouse growers are at the tip of the sword in terms of exporting 70 per cent of their product to the United States,” Lemaire points out. “They are the first of the season to market in terms of Canadian produce and whether it’s the issue of access to temporary foreign workers or transportation or packaging, they feel it first. The Ontario government needs to step in to help them.” 

With media reports that another trucker convoy is headed to the Peace Bridge at Fort  Erie, Ontario, Lemaire warns, “These blockades need to end in the next week. And they must never happen again.”

Source:  Interview with Ron Lemaire, Canadian Produce Marketing Association