It took less than 48 hours, from the time the decision was made to go ahead with a truck convoy protest in Estevan, until the first truck rolled out of Bert Baxter Transport鈥檚 yard.
That decision was made just a day after trucks clogged the streets of Nisku and south Edmonton, and less than a week after a similar rally in Grande Prairie.
It was almost like a moment from the Christmas classic movie, It鈥檚 a Wonderful Life. When George Bailey was in desperate trouble, the call went out and people came. In this case, the call went out and 427 trucks of every type and size came. And while it wasn鈥檛 quite the 1,000 screaming trucks in Paul Brant鈥檚 song, Convoy, there was some inspiration drawn from that, too, with plenty of noise to be heard.
That noise came from both the convoy and the 170 people who braved a cutting wind in front of Estevan City Hall, many wearing the yellow vests that have become the symbol of the movement. Some people who didn鈥檛 have yellow vests even chose to wear yellow garbage bags.
The 170-person crowd didn鈥檛 include the many people who sat in their vehicles lining the route, recording the biggest protest in Estevan in many years on their cellphones and posting it to social media.
The convoy started a little after 11:30 a.m, with a route that would take it from Bert Baxter Transport鈥檚 new yard, down the truck bypass, and along Estevan鈥檚 three main drags 鈥� Fourth Street, King Street and Kensington Avenue. The lead elements passed the Estevan Shoppers Mall as the last trucks were finally leaving Baxter鈥檚 yard. That meant the convoy was a total 15 kilometres in length.
It took an hour from the time the first trucks passed the rally at City Hall until the tail end Charlie reached that point.
Not one complimentary word was spoken of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Many of the signs and stickers on trucks gave the symbol his father was so famous for, the bird, to Trudeau, the younger. Several trucks had images of Trudeau splayed across the front of their grills, like parliamentary roadkill. Two men in the centre of the crowd wore shirts saying, 鈥淔--- Trudeau.鈥�
That was very much a common theme of the sentiment, as the issues raised by the protesters on the street and those in the convoy were all in opposition to the policies of the federal Liberal government. The impending carbon tax, ongoing frustration on pipelines, the demise of conventional coal-fired energy production and federal equalization were significant issues for many.
Some were also concerned about migration policies and Canada recently signing onto the United Nations Migration Pact.
Among those at the City Hall rally, Bobby Kyle, a long-time worker in the oil and gas sector, was carrying a Canadian flag, and even led the protesters in a rendition of O Canada while the Yellow Vest protesters were waiting for the trucks to reach the rally.
He said he was there because the energy sector shaped him into who he is.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of our oil and gas and our energy sector,鈥� said Kyle.
Mel Fitzpatrick cited several reasons for attending. He鈥檚 frustrated with the regulatory hurdles that have kept pipelines from 小蓝视频 built.
鈥淎 lot of these companies are trying to get something done in this country,鈥� said Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick also criticized the Liberals鈥� plan to impose a carbon tax on Saskatchewan.
鈥淲e have a better plan called the Prairie Resilience plan, and they have a really messed up plan, which is taxation,鈥� said Fitzpatrick.
He also said he didn鈥檛 enjoy 小蓝视频 talked down to by Finance Minister Bill Morneau during the review of small business taxes last year, and he鈥檚 opposed to the government鈥檚 support for the United Nations Migration Plan.
Participants in the convoy focused principally on energy issues.
Jerry Mainil Ltd. brought several trucks from its base in Weyburn. Calvin Tracey said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to support our industry, the oil industry.鈥�
Asked what issues he was concerned about, Tracey said, 鈥淐arbon tax! Pipelines! We need to get our oil to tidewater, and we need to get rid of this carbon tax.鈥�
The cacophony of truck horns was so loud in the Baxter yard, it took a few seconds before Nick Mayer of Mayco Well Servicing Inc. in Oxbow could say his peace. When the din died down, he explained, 鈥淭o be honest, I鈥檓 not happy about 小蓝视频 here. I鈥檇 like to have this equipment out in the field, working, so we can continue to build infrastructure, roads, schools, hospitals. I鈥檓 concerned about the regulation that鈥檚 been smothering us in our industry right now.鈥�
Souris-Moose Mountain Member of Parliament Robert Kitchen was riding along with his son-in-law, Dylan Gilliss, of Gilliss Casing Services.
Kitchen said, 鈥淚t was a great turnout and fantastic to see.鈥�
鈥淚t says that not only Estevan, but the whole southeast corner is very proud of our energy sector. This sector brings a lot of wealth and prosperity, not only here to us, but also to all Canadians. And that鈥檚 what this movement is about 鈥� telling all of Canada that we want to contribute. We want to continue contributing by providing jobs and building this country.鈥�
Jay Riedel and Darryl 鈥淏uzz鈥� Shirley were two of the principle organizers. Asked if he expected such a turnout, Riedel said, 鈥淣ot in my wildest dreams. That was such an overwhelming spectacle of people. We thought, maybe 100 people. The final count was 427.
鈥淭o see all the people lining main street and all the support of the convoy that went through, and the support of the people that came in the convoy, to bring this community together, I mean, it鈥檚 going to be forever in the history of Estevan.鈥�
As for the message they were trying to send, Riedel said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to tell our federal government, look, things aren鈥檛 exactly the way you think they are, and Canada needs to come together as one. This isn鈥檛 between the east and the west. This is trying to get all Canadians together, to get our resources to market and get this country back on the top. We should have so much money in this country, that nobody should be worried about anything.鈥�
鈥淲e get this country back online again, get everybody working, get some resources to market, we can bring all kinds of people in and have education and jobs for them. The way things are right now, without having pipelines, we have no jobs. This country is going to fail. We鈥檙e running out of money. It鈥檚 all going overseas.鈥�
Shirley of Bert Baxter Transport said. 鈥淲e had 427 trucks at this event.鈥�
Was this what he expected?
鈥淣o!鈥� he replied. 鈥淚 expected maybe 150 trucks. The turnout and support is amazing. It鈥檚 astronomical.鈥�
He went on, 鈥淭he energy sector needs help. We need to be able to build pipelines to market our product. We need a government that can actually make business easy, not harder. We don鈥檛 need any more taxes. We need a prime minister that cares about working Canadians, not the whole world.鈥�
Baxter鈥檚 had a large representation. Hutt鈥檚 Trucking of Lampman brought their entire fleet of trucks, pickers and pilot trucks. The contingent from Carnduff clogged the highways coming into town, with Bandit Oilfield Hauling, Integrity Oilfield Hauling, Fast Trucking Service, Competition Environmental and Day Construction 小蓝视频 just some of the companies represented.
Element Technical Services brought in frac units from Carlyle. Trican Well Service of Estevan had a large contingent. As noted above, Jerry Mainil Ltd. of Weyburn had a substantial contingent.
Indeed, a very large share of the oilfield service sector in southeast Saskatchewan had representation in the convoy. Put another way, few oilfield services in the region didn鈥檛 show up.
David Heier of ALX sat near the Baxter yard and broadcast live on Facebook, listing off the companies as they drove by him. His posting was one hour, 14 minutes long, and had 15,750 views within eight hours. He started out his post by saying, 鈥淲e just want to go to work.鈥�
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