As of Feb. 14, Canadian truckers continued to protest that country’s mandate for COVID-19 vaccination and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. The mandate took effect on Jan. 15 and requires all Canadian cross-border essential workers, including truckers, to provide proof of vaccination at ports of entry “to avoid stringent testing requirements and quarantine,” as stated in Canada’s public-owned news and info service, CBC.
Three days earlier, on Feb. 11, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), “in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders and organizations across the country,” signed an open letter on Feb. 11 that calls on elected officials “at all levels of government to end the ongoing blockades.”
The letter can be accessed at https://cpma.ca/docs/default-source/corporate/2022/2022-02-11-blockade-statement-vfinal_signed-en.pdf.
A release from CPMA, the organization said, “The fresh produce industry has experienced several challenges over the past two years including, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, weather-related disasters, and more.
“`Since the beginning of the pandemic, our industry has faced challenges that have transformed how we do business,’ said CPMA President Ron Lemaire. ‘In addition to the supply chain disruptions that we are dealing with, the current blockades at our borders are not only making shipping of perishable produce extremely difficult but are also impacting the Canadian economy and Canadians’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables.’”
The release added that “CPMA continues to work with industry partners and the government to highlight the consequences of these disruptions.”
