Locations of protests in the last week
The ranks of truck drivers protesting vaccine mandates in Canada have swelled since they first gathered last month. Blockades in some places, like the Ambassador Bridge — a vital link for the automobile industry that connects Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit — have disrupted the flow of goods between the United States and Canada. An Ontario court ruled late Friday that protesters must clear the bridge.
After first disrupting traffic in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, almost three weeks ago, truck drivers later staged protests in other cities, including Toronto, Quebec City and Calgary, Alberta. As of Friday afternoon, four border crossings were blocked: Windsor; Sarnia, Ontario; Emerson, Manitoba; and Coutts, Alberta.
Here’s where some of the major protests and border blockages have occurred, with more demonstrations planned for the weekend, possibly even spreading to cities in the United States.
Protesters in Ottawa
Crowds of protesters surrounded Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa, many wearing Canadian flags as capes or carrying them on hockey sticks.
The Canadian capital’s mayor said the city was “out of control,” with more protesters than police officers. “We’re in the midst of a serious emergency, the most serious emergency our city has ever faced,” Mayor Jim Watson of Ottawa said.
Border blockade in Windsor, Ontario
Demonstrators were ordered to clear the area blocking Ambassador Bridge, an Ontario court ruled on Friday. The bridge carries roughly a third of U.S.-Canada trade, and the blockades this week left carmakers short of crucial parts, forcing companies to shut down some plants.
Road closure in Sarnia, Ontario
As companies looked for alternative routes to the Ambassador Bridge, protesters midweek blocked a route to the Blue Water Bridge, which links Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Mich.
Border blockade in Coutts, Alberta
On Wednesday, traffic was halted on the Canadian side of the Sweet Grass-Coutts crossing, the port of entry between Montana and Alberta.
More protests are expected this weekend. Demonstrators may try to block another border crossing between Saskatchewan and North Dakota, and the Peace Bridge connecting Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo could be shut down as well.