Oilpatch convoy from Virden to Brandon Saturday
January 4, 2019, 5:48 am
A convoy of oil industry trucks will fill the Trans-Canada Highway from Virden to Brandon this Saturday to show their support for pipelines.
The trucks will meet at Virden Saturday morning and head east along the Trans-Canada to Brandon.
"It’s because of all the decisions the government has been making and shutting pipelines down, and not making very smart decisions for oilpatch companies and people who depend on the oilpatch to make a living," said organizer Rick Walker, a trucker who hauls oil.
Because of the large amount of interest, truck will meet at two locations -- at the Co-op cardlock just off the Trans-Canada Highway, and at Sparks Sand and Gravel -- at about 10:30 a.m., this Saturday, Jan. 5, leaving for Brandon at noon.
The convoy is being planned to protest issues like: Pipelines and resources, Taxation, and the carbon tax
The convoy will travel Virden to Kemnay bridge bypass 1A, continue 1A - Brandon to 18th Street, and take 18th Street to Number 1 Hwy then head back west on the Trans-Canada Highway.
"It’s been happening all over Canada," Walker said, adding hundreds of trucks have been joining rallies in other places.
"When we’re not working, we can’t make a living," Walker said, adding it’s not just those working in the oil industry who are affected.
"You take Virden," he said. "There’s a lot of oil in Virden. A lot of people depend on the oil for their jobs and then if they’re not making any money, well then they’re not buying as much groceries and vehicles.
"It affects everybody."
The movement was inspired by yellow-vest protesters in France, who have clashed with police in recent weeks. The protests there began with anger over a rise in taxes on gasoline and diesel, which is why the protesters wear the fluorescent emergency vests all French motorists are required to carry in their vehicles. Other countries have since created their own yellow vests movements for a variety causes.
The movement, which has sprung up in communities across Canada, is more focused on the federal carbon tax, stalled pipeline projects and layoffs in the oilpatch.
