An RCMP cruiser sits near the site of an earlier protest blockade that was hastily set up at the Dunmore intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway on Wednesday afternoon. -- NEWS PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The main blockade in southern Alberta partially lifted on Wednesday while other actions in solidarity sprung up around southeast Alberta, including near Medicine Hat, demanding an end to what’s left of pandemic restrictions.
Protesters who have blocked the Coutts port of entry to Montana since Saturday eased their line to allow traffic to flow in one lane in either direction, according to the RCMP.
They are calling for an end to health restrictions, vaccine mandates and generally more freedom, echoing ongoing protests in Ottawa that began last week.
MLAs in the region say that’s likely on the way, though denied reports that rural members of the government caucus are forcing the government’s hand to lift pandemic measures sooner.
Reports from some media sources said a deal was being brokered between convoy leaders and MLAs.
Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Michaela Frey said she had no knowledge of any such arrangement, but was pleased the border was no longer at a complete halt.
She was certain health measures put in place during the Omicron wave would soon be lifted.
“People are at their wit’s end with restrictions, and I’m confident that they will end soon,” she told the News. “I look forward to Alberta being the first place in Canada to do so.”
In terms of the slowdown acutely hurting ranchers – Coutts is the only 24-hour border crossing in the province and the only one capable of processing shipments of live cattle – she said, “I’m asking that the blockade needs to end.”
Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes, an independent, has consistently called for restrictions to end.
Lethbridge area MLA Nathan Neudorf, the UCP caucus chair, also released a statement denying a meeting of caucus Monday revolved around rural MLAs upset over restrictions, or to negotiate with the blockade organizers.
“No such agreement has been authorized, and the meeting was not to discuss the REP (restriction exemptions program),” he wrote. “As the premier stated (on Tuesday), Alberta will be lifting restrictions very soon, likely within days, starting with the REP.”
Those statements were made after a wildcat solidarity blockade was up briefly at the Dunmore intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
The News was made aware of the protest via a message from a person claiming to be an organizer, though he left no contact information.
Witnesses said two farm tractors and four pickup trucks were blocking six lanes of east and westbound traffic.
Redcliff RCMP officials said they received a complaint at about 1:45 p.m., and arrived at the scene six minutes later, at which point the vehicles were moving away.
No intervention was necessary, according to a statement. Police stayed near the scene through the afternoon, while a tractor that took part circled off-highway roads.
Near Coutts, the RCMP began acting to break up the blockade on Tuesday though alternate sites were set up by some who left the original blockade on Highway 4. Video also shows other vehicles driving past police in ditches to add reinforcement.
On Wednesday, reports and video show a group of large and small trucks adorned with banner and driving slowly on the No. 1 highway in the Brooks region that afternoon.
City police say they are monitoring the general situation but hadn’t had any reports or complaints by the late afternoon.
