Sask. premier slams vaccine mandate for truck drivers
On the same day protest convoys rolled through the province's two largest cities, Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe came out against the federal government's new cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truck drivers.
"We view this as being an unnecessary vaccine mandate for this particular industry," Moe said when asked about the mandate during a press conference in Regina.
The semi convoys that passed through the province on Monday are in reaction to the recent introduction of COVID-19 vaccine requirements for cross-border commercial truck drivers.
"The vast majority of our truckers, our transport guys are vaccinated like the vast majority of the general population."
Moe pointed to a deal Saskatchewan and Manitoba inked with North Dakota last year that helped Prairie truck drivers access vaccines on the U.S. side of the border when doses were more scarce.
"Our truckers were going back and forth throughout this pandemic, they've done so I think largely in a very safe manner," Moe said.
The Saskatchewan premier said the widespread availability of rapid COVID-19 tests has also changed the equation for the industry.
"They didn't have these tools available to them a year ago," Moe said.
The fact that transport trucks deliver food and other necessities is also of particular concern for Moe.
"It's an unnecessary policy, and it's one that's going to have, unfortunately, potentially some significant impacts on us accessing essential services, including food and that we need in our communities," Moe said.
In a Jan. 13 news release announcing the measure, the federal government said it will continue to consider "further targeted measures" at Canada's borders "to keep Canadians safe."
Under the new federal rules, unvaccinated drivers who are Canadian citizens, registered under the Indian Act or are permanent residents can not be turned back at the border — but will need to quarantine and undergo testing.
However, unvaccinated "foreign national" drivers will be turned back at the border, according to the federal government.
Additionally, under a new Department of Homeland Security rule which came into effect on Jan. 22, any non-citizen entering the U.S. — including those travelling for essential reasons — must be fully vaccinated.
In a news release, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) said it "strongly disapproves" of the protests against the mandate.
CTA president Stephen Laskowski is instead encouraging unvaccinated drivers to "adapt."
“The Government of Canada and the United States have now made being vaccinated a requirement to cross the border. This regulation is not changing," Laskowski said.
“The only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.”
Like Moe, the CTA also said the "vast majority" of truck drivers are already fully vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.