At the bottom of all local stories published on BarrieToday, readers have the option of submitting feedback. Due to the high volume of comments on the 'freedom convoy,' we have separated out reaction to those stories:
Feb. 1
EVERYTHING KING: Convoy shows how Canadian society has become 'sick'
Tell Wendy that I said "amen" to her article. Well written and her conclusion is spot on. — Albert W.
Well said. A bunch of ungrateful fools. — Jack C.
My thoughts exactly, Wendy! — Gail W.
Clearly your hands are tied and you can’t say what’s really going on here. I suppose you are just a fringe minority reporter that abides by the government media censoring. American reporters are telling the truth. Canadian reporters are afraid of losing their jobs if they say the truth. Yes, it’s a pandemic, but it is every person's right to do what they wish for their own health. Do you really think Trudeau didn’t plant people in Ottawa to make the truckers look bad? He won’t even talk to them he’s so afraid of not being able to answer their questions. It is sad that we as Canadians cannot rely on reporters to tell the truth. Oh, and as for you saying unvaxxed should pay a bill for medical, I assume you agree that obese and smokers also should have to. You disgust me with your opinion and I’m sure I disgust you with mine. If nothing else, this pandemic and our government has succeeded with one thing — separating Canadians. When Fidel (oops, I mean Trudeau) makes our great country communist, I’m sure you will change your mind, or at least try to fight for free speech from reporters like yourself. Good luck and God bless. — Karen N.
Thank you, Wendy. You have put into words exactly what I believe the majority of the Canadian public feels. Yes, I will defend anyone’s right to protest. But when seeking your rights interferes with my right to safely shop, work, walk my dog, sleep and live peacefully and even seek medical help via ambulance, I draw the line. And so should all politicians. I am not aghast that at the unruly protesters. I am aghast at the inaction of politicians and police. Disgraceful. — Kathie R.
Well said, Ms. King! — Robert N.
I wouldn't go so far as to say our society is sick. But it's clear that a vocal minority of loudmouths are. — John W.
Wendy King’s article about about how the COVID protest convoy is making “everyone sick” is way out of touch with the general consensus of Canadians. This convoy is about freedom and a desperate hope for the end of nonsensical government-mandated restrictions. It is about Canadians (which has now gone international) who are fed up with the inconsistent rhetoric and blatant misinformation. I can only surmise that Wendy’s highly partisan views work for her, but it does not represent the people of Barrie. — Owen B.
Finally, some pushback from us docile Canadians. As a rule we apologize, roll over and swallow whatever comes out of the mouths of elected officials. — Bryan C.
Thank you to Wendy King for saying what many of us, in fact most of us, have been wanting to say for many months and especially for the past few days. Couldn’t have said it better myself Wendy. Thank you so much. — Janet L.
I'm sorry you feel that way, but the mandates and limitations the government has put on them had made my life as a single mother miserable. I have a nerve disorder that causes severe inflammation and an allergy to the flu shot. My doctors recommended in the beginning that the vaccine would not be a good idea, but the exemption restriction leave me taking a chance of having severe reactions in both allergic reaction and increase in my nerve issue. No government employee should ever override a doctor's recommendations. So here I sit, unable to go anywhere. I can't take my kids to sports because I won't put my life on the line for a vaccine that doesn't do most of what they say and could potentially kill me. The issues that happened were two-sided and what many didn't convey was that truckers were going around sending those offenders home and cleaning up what needed to be done. Those issues were minorities trying to cause trouble. I watched many live videos and saw very little issues. There are two sides to every story and so far I've seen both. — Gidget H.
The Ottawa truckers protest would seem to have little to do with freedom and patriotism and more to do with vandalism and hatred as we watch monuments being desecrated and our flag flown wrong-side-up on the Terry Fox Memorial. And what do those standing on the Veterans' Memorial expect to gain by claiming to stand for freedom? Do they not get that our veterans fought and died for the freedoms Canadians now take for granted? They miss the fact that with freedom comes responsibility. The 90 per cent of truckers who are now out on the roads working hard to bring the rest of us food and the necessities of life are the truckers we need to be supporting, not the goons causing havoc in our capital. — Catherine G.
Right on Wendy! The best way to return to some degree of normalcy is for all of us to get vaccinated. Those who refuse to get vaccinated, fine! But please, stay home and don't come out where you can infect the rest of us. I had to get a licence to drive a car and to get married. I hired a licensed plumber to install a new kitchen sink because I don't want leaks. I hired a licensed electrician because it was worth it to ensure the new wiring wouldn't cause a house fire. I expect my doctor to be licensed and vaccinated, and if I am unlucky enough to need hospital care, I expect my nurses to be both licensed and vaccinated. Ensuring that everybody who interacts with the public is vaccinated against this highly contagious disease is now expected. If you drive a truck and wish to deliver a load into the U.S.A., you simply will not be allowed in unless you are vaccinated. And guess what — if you tried to protest in Washington, D.C., you will not be allowed in to do that, either. Stop complaining and get vaccinated. The world has changed and this is now a requirement of many jobs — should be a requirement of all jobs which are not home based. Get vaccinated! — Peter B.
MONAGUE: Where are the SWAT teams? Snipers on rooftops?
Mr. Montague is right. Had this 'protest' in our nation's capital been carried out by Indigenous peoples, the homeless or POC, it would have been over the first day and not with the "patience & tolerance" the Ottawa Police Service are providing these "protesters." There would have been arrests and beatings. When are all levels of government going to address the issue of right-wing/white supremacy leanings by many members of the police and military? This kid-glove approach to thugs terrorizing citizens of Ottawa, and breaking laws the rest of us would be held to account for, is demoralizing for we law-abiding citizens. Who is going to protect us from these, in my opinion, white supremacist thugs? Certainly not the police. — Doreen B.
Jan. 29
Barrie residents rally in 'support of the truckers'
Sure, we are all fed up with COVID and the restrictions placed upon us because of it, but I cannot get excited by a minority who, in defiance of science and the deaths of so many people, refuse to protect themselves. The majority of people who are taxing out health-care system are unvaccinated. These people have the right to shun the vaccination process, but not if their activities affect me detrimentally and if they continue to flout the law and in the process lose their jobs, so be it. The majority must be protected from their mistaken ideals. — Anthony P.
Canada has much more freedom than many countries in this world. Most of those on this rally have not experienced a family member die or almost die from this virus to question their freedom. What about my freedom as a senior Canadian citizen to stay healthy and out of hospital by taking the vaccine? — Kathy D.
There’d be a lot more people out if it wasn’t so cold as well. For every one you see there are 10 or more that think the same. Maybe a 100:1 ratio even. — Mike B.
I believe in everyone's rights, too. Everyone has the right to live and not die because of your choice to not get vaccinated!! I think choices should be made based on allowing everyone the right to remain alive. — Gail W.
Is it true the Maverick Party (which is a separatist party out west) is behind this go fund me for the truckers? If so, I wonder how many people who donated know that. — Doreen M.
VIDEO: 'Freedom Convoy' supporters roll down Highway 400
I find it hard to understand how this is helping our current situation or that we are all standing united (as that would mean we all feel the same way about the same thing). Inflation is happening due to many reasons and COVID just being one, people losing jobs due to non-compliance with rules set in place for everyone’s safety and the list goes on with conspiracy theories and propaganda supported details. I am concerned not of the Omicron variant, but that of the next variant that is to come and will it be a super variant resistant to vaccines. I remember the beginning of COVID where there was backlash for how long it took our government to act. Now again, we see backlash for government being over protective of those at risk or is it not proceeding with due diligence and caution. If you were our leader how would you have handled this crisis. I am not a liberal supporter, but could you do better for our country? — Daniel K.
What convoy? There might have been six or seven transport trucks in two of these pictures. Four of your pictures are of people standing around. Did they forget their big rigs at home? Is there any non-right-wing-biased media left in Canada? We live in one of the best countries in the world. These whiners should grow up, and go back to work. They are being used by right-wing Maverick Party grifters. They can't cross the U.S. border unvaccinated anyway. — Doreen B.
