The man with a dog was in no mood for yesterday's trucker protest in Penticton.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Annie Cameron
March 26, 2022 - 12:00 PM
- This story was originally published March 23, 2022.
A man and his dog were caught on video recently stalling a bus that was involved in a loud, slow roll protest.
The interaction was recorded on Westminster Avenue West near Maple Street yesterday, March 22.
The man and dog were already in the middle of the road when the video starts. The bus attempted to maneuver around them, but the man stubbornly stayed in the way. There was still enough space for traffic in both directions to get past the standoff.
Another man jumped out of the bus and tried to shoo the man and dog away but they stood their ground. The bus is then seen nudging the man with the dog, who by that point had pulled out his phone to presumably record the interaction.
Somebody driving a pickup truck then confronted the man, who continued standing his ground, before the minute-long video comes to an end.
Annie Cameron, who recorded the video, called the man with a dog a local hero.
“That man in the video represents a demographic of Canadians that are frustrated and are getting sick and tired of seeing and hearing about the convoy,” she said.
“It is frustrating and embarrassing to hear them complaining about freedom when there are people who are actually losing their freedom and their lives in the Ukraine.”
The bus in the video was a black Mercedes with the word ‘unity’ painted on the hood. The Canadian flag, Quebec flag, and what looks to be the Grand Council Flag of the Mikmaq Nation can be seen waving from it. The bus has the term ‘Great Canadian Cruise’ written on the side as well.
The Great Canadian Cruise group was holding similar demonstrations in other parts of the Okanagan yesterday, as well as other communities in the Maritimes. It looks like an offshoot of the Freedom Convoy that stirred up controversy earlier in 2022.
READ MORE: From Vernon to Osoyoos, Highway 97 congested by convoy against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions
But considering how in B.C. mask mandates are over and vaccine passports are ending on April 8, many people – like Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki – don’t understand what yesterday’s protest was about.
“A lot of stuff they’re complaining about has been lifted by government,” he said. “It’s easier for the public to get around now, get together, go to restaurants – so I don’t understand why they continue to protest.”
Vassilaki only saw the slow roll for a couple of seconds but said he could hear horns “blaring” while he was in meetings.
“At least they were orderly” he said. “I didn’t hear any reports of them misbehaving.”
The night before the slow roll, March 21, Vassilaki said he saw the protesters’ trucks in the Walmart parking lot.
That seems to be where the group is stationed for at least a few days. The plan on the itinerary for today, March 23, is to leave for to Kelowna, then go to Vernon, Kamloops, and Merritt. Afterwards it’s back to Penticton “for the night.”
READ MORE: Convoy protest cost Ottawa $36.3 million, city memo says
On March 26, the Great Canadian Cruise will be teaming up with the Okanagan Slow Roll Convoy, which has been gathering demonstrators from Vernon on their way to Osoyoos every Saturday since Jan. 23.
“We are joining the Okanagan Convoy and coming to hold the line with you all,” reads the poster for this upcoming Saturday.
Demonstrators plan on spending the evening of March 26 at the Walmart parking lot once again.
Messages were left with four people who participated in yesterday's slow roll. Only one man responded to say he intended to share a comment but did not provide one before publication.
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