Support for truckers set to ride in Coaldale

By Dale Woodard - Lethbridge Herald on February 12, 2022.

A ride – and drive – in support of the truckers will be taking place today in Coaldale.
A freedom ride including horses and vehicles alike will be gathering this morning for a ride around town in support of the ongoing trucker protests taking place across the country.
“It’s to support the truckers,” said organizer Brian Dingreville. “Those individuals have gone above and beyond trying to give us freedom of choice that no other individuals have even attempted. What they’ve done has united the whole country and we are just trying to be part and parcel of that. We want to help them and want to encourage them and we want them to know we’re behind them.”
The supporters are meeting at roughly 10:30 a.m. this morning at the far east end of Coaldale, said Dingreville. 
“There is a parcel of land that is listed for sale. I’ve talked to the listed realtor and he said it’s OK. It’s just past the new RCMP building. The majority of the people who are going to be there are going to be on horses. The plan is to leave that area at 11 a.m.”
Dingreville was still talking with the Town of Coaldale on Friday about the ride, but said the RCMP detachment has given them approval.
“So we’re not infringing on anything,” he said. “The plan of the route is to go from the building and go south until we hit 20 Ave. and then follow that route all the way down to Tim Hortons on the far west end, and then back onto Highway 3 and all the way back to where we started from.”
Dingreville said a ride took place last weekend in Fort Macleod.
“We started from the far west end and went up to the Tim Hortons in Fort Macleod and back and it took us just under an hour,” he said. “I’m assuming this particular ride will take possibly an hour or an hour-and-a-half.”
Dingreville was unsure of the amount of people expected to partake in the ride today, but he said it has received interest from numerous people.
“There could be a number of people who might join in with vehicles behind,” he said. “That’s very possible, because I’ve had comments from people asking if they could do that and I said it’s fine. It’s nothing large, from what I’m getting, like big tractors and trucks and stuff like that, it’ll be mostly just horses.”
The border blockades – including one at nearby Coutts – have been ongoing since Jan. 29 with demonstrators protesting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross border truckers and broader public health restrictions. 
The protests have fueled passionate responses from both sides, with support garnered for the truckers, while others speak against the blockades and the economic stresses that have resulted.
“Everybody has the freedom of choice and those who are against this, that’s their right and we have no problem with them,” said Dingreville. “If any of those individuals have concerns then they should speak up and make their points of view strong. We are strong believers of what we’re doing and we just want to help represent them.”
Dingreville said today’s ride will be non-confrontational. 
“We’re there as a peaceful-minded group. We want to encourage people, if they want to be involved, to come out. I have people who have called me from the Pass who are coming up with food. The numbers of people I know of are behind us and they’re very confident we’re going to accomplish something here.”

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