Demonstrators to gather in Uptown Waterloo for ‘Freedom Rally’

In a scene similar to the anti-lockdown rallies seen throughout the summer of 2021 in Waterloo, demonstrators are expected to gather in the town square today for the 'Waterloo Freedom Rally' hosted by the People's Party of Canada. 

With leader of the PPC Maxime Bernier set to be in attendance, that event is said to be in support of Canadian truckers “against international vaccine mandates,” while also touted to be a peaceful assembly against “government authoritarian restrictions, unconstitutional mandates and never ending lock down measures.”

That mandate was announced by the federal government back in November, with a miscommunication from the Canada Border Services Agency originally announcing that plans for the vaccination requirements had been scrapped on Jan. 12 before backtracking the next day. That mandate ended the exemption for cross-border truckers from vaccination requirements — meaning they must be vaccinated or face a two-week quarantine and pre-arrival test for the virus. 

That federal mandate also applies to American big-riggers, as the Canadian Trucking Alliance and American Trucking Associations have estimated up to 26-thousand drivers who make cross-border trips will be “sidelined” due to the mandate. 

Also expected to speak at Sunday's event is independent MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, Randy Hillier, alongside several other planned guest speakers. 

Sunday's event follows two similar gatherings: a “Worldwide Rally for Freedom” hosted in Toronto and the “Port Credit Freedom Rally” in Mississauga.

Demonstrators will be occupying Uptown Waterloo from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m.