CALGARY (660 NEWS) – A pro-pipeline convoy started its four-day journey Thursday morning in Red Deer at Gorts Car Wash. The United We Roll Convoy for Canada is planning for around 100 trucks from Alberta and Saskatchewan as a core, to embark on the long drive to Ottawa, hoping to gain momentum along the way. RELATED: Indigenous pro-oil rally in Alberta stresses energy industry is vital for them “The goal is we’ve got trucks that are going to join us for as much of the trip as they can, you know, whether that’s city to city, or border to border, or whatever that might be, just you know much like a Terry Fox run, just to join when they can,” said Glen Carrit, the Lead Convoy Organizer. “Every peaceful, respectful Canadian is welcome, whether you wear a yellow vest, or blue coveralls, or a black hard hat, as long as you’re respectful and peaceful than your welcome. The radicals of any of those groups are not welcome.” Carrit says they are travelling in hopes that they will have their voices heard. WATCH: Truck convoy heads to Ottawa READ MORE: Pro-pipeline convoy to ‘wake up’ federal government to western Canada’s energy concerns “About how disappointed we are in the current government and we want Bill C-48, C-69 abolished, carbon tax and pipelines to have immediate action to be put in the ground,” he said. The plan is to arrive at Parliament Hill on February 19 and stage a rally.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Corbella: United We Roll convoy a beautiful sight as it heads to Ottawa Corbella: United We Roll convoy a beautiful sight as it heads to Ottawa Article content Perhaps it’s no surprise, but some of the first words crackling over the CB radios in the United We Roll Convoy for Canada as it pulled out of a Red Deer parking lot Thursday morning was: “We got a great big convoy, ain’t it a beautiful sight?” Those words from the famous song, Convoy, were a 10-4. With Canadian flags flapping and huge signs declaring love for Canadian oil and gas, it was, indeed, a strangely beautiful and, I’ll admit, somewhat emotional sight. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Corbella: United We Roll convoy a beautiful sight as it heads to Ottawa Back to video Seeing 159 vehicles — everything from huge semi-trucks to sporty sedans — coming together as one to drive home the message that Western Canada’s energy industry is hurting and deserves the support of the entire country — was moving in more ways than the obvious one. “The main message we are taking to Ottawa with this convoy is that our oil-and-gas sector is in trouble,” said Glen Carritt, the convoy manager, who has done the bulk of the organizing of this five-day trek to Parliament Hill. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We need a prime minister to be a champion for the industry that has done so much to fuel this country’s prosperity,” said Carritt, a councillor with the town of Innisfail, who literally shook from the cold as he stopped for numerous media interviews before jumping into his rig that looks much like a fire truck and is used in his industrial safety company. “We need to get our pipelines in the ground and soon. We need to abolish Bill C-69 and Bill C-48 and we need the carbon tax abolished,” said Carritt, referring to the Impact Assessment Act — Bill C-69 — that critics say will make building a pipeline in the future virtually impossible. Bill C-48 bans tanker traffic on the northwest coast of Canada, meanwhile, OPEC oil travels up the St. Lawrence River all the time. Following months of pro oil-and-gas protests and truck convoys throughout Western Canada, this convoy almost never happened after some grassroots groups such as Canada Action felt that people who associated themselves with France’s yellow vest movement were muddying the message with racist issues. But Carritt, who does not wear a yellow vest, says those yellow vesters were kicked out and that issue is in the rear-view mirror now. “All respectful, peaceful, non-radical Canadians are welcome to join in this rally. We will not tolerate any racism, hate or anyone with those views,” he insisted. “They are not part of this movement. I’ll be very upset if someone like that attaches themselves to us and this convoy. They have nothing to do with us. We’re proud of our oil and gas, a product every Canadian uses and benefits from in a huge way. That’s what this is about,” added Carritt, before leading the convoy out of Gort’s Truck Wash parking lot in Red Deer a bit later than the scheduled 8 a.m. launch. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Amy Kinsella, 12, said she wanted to join the convoy from Red Deer to Innisfail because she hopes young voices will help change things for the better. Holding Gigi, the family’s bichon-poodle cross wearing an I (heart) Canadian Oil and Gas T-shirt fashioned into a doggy coat, Amy says she will learn more Thursday morning than she would have in the first hour of school that she was missing by taking part in the first 35 kilometres of the 3,260-kilometre journey to Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Joined by her brother, Wyatt, 11, and her parents, Dave and Tracey, Amy said: “I think this teaches me that if you don’t like government policy it’s important to speak out about it — to stand on guard for Canada.” Almost on cue, O Canada was sung in the parking lot and a prayer for safety was uttered before convoy members moved into their vehicles to head down Highway 2. RCMP were lauded on the CB radio for blocking roads in Red Deer to allow the convoy to remain united on the road. Amy’s dad, Dave Kinsella, 45, an oilfield measurement co-ordinator, is driving his Ford F-150 to Ottawa with Gigi after he drops off the kids and Tracey in Innisfail. He says he’s joining the convoy because he feels abandoned by the federal government. “Every hospital, school, road and social program across this country has been built in part and supported by our industry. My hope is that Canadians outside of Western Canada will listen to us and understand that nobody does oil and gas development better than Canada,” said Kinsella. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Despite the bitter wind chill that Environment Canada said made the temperature feel more like -40 C, the atmosphere was warm, festive and jubilant. That spirit continued on Highway 2 south and the Trans-Canada Highway headed east as hundreds of people braved the cold to stand along roads or on highway overpasses to show support to the convoy. Cars and trucks passing the convoy tooted horns and gave thumbs-up so often that Terry Woodruff, who let me hitch a ride until Strathmore, answered each acknowledgment with a blast of his air horn. “I have to lay off my horn soon or I’ll have to get another air compressor before we reach Regina, never mind Ottawa,” he said with a laugh.<doc-sep>Alberta Premier Rachel Notley expressed mixed feelings about a convoy leaving Red Deer for Ottawa Thursday morning. Although the United We Roll! Convoy for Canada! has attempted to distance itself from the yellow vest movement with a name change, Notley said she remains concerned that the wrong message will be sent by some participants. “I support the workers who are trying to get their point across to all Canadians, and there are some great folks who were working to get a convoy together…” she said. But Notley added there have also been intolerant messages expressed that do not represent what Albertans stand for. “There have been some disturbing things said by the yellow vesters” — who have used offensive statements to oppose immigration, the carbon tax, and even various levels of government. “I very much want all Canadians to understand the province of Alberta and Alberta workers, said Notley. But she fears this will not happen if the “troubling messages” prevail, turning off many Canadians. Pipeline<doc-sep>After months of pro-pipeline rallies across Alberta, a protest convoy of about 170 trucks, big and small, left Red Deer early Thursday morning for a four-day trek to Ottawa. Convoy participants and their supporters gathered before dawn, with the temperature sitting at about –25 C. Their vehicles were dressed up in banners denouncing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many of his government's policies. They want to show their opposition to the federal carbon tax and Bill C-69, federal legislation that would change the way energy projects are reviewed, as well as a host of other policies they believe are adding to the economic pain that first hit Alberta when the price of oil plummeted four years ago. The United We Roll protest comes as lawyers for the federal government and its supporters make their case today in a Regina court on why they believe Ottawa has the legal power to impose a carbon tax on Saskatchewan. 'We're not gonna tolerate it': Truck convoy departs Alberta with message for Ottawa CBC News Calgary 2:18 After months of pro-pipeline rallies across Alberta, a protest convoy with about 160 trucks, big and small, left Red Deer early Thursday morning for a four-day trek to Ottawa. 2:18 Regina is the first stop planned for the convoy. Organizers plan to hold a rally at Parliament Hill when they arrive in Ottawa. Mike Jepson, one of the lead drivers, said he hopes the convoy will grow to more than 200 trucks. "Our point is to get our jobs back. I mean, a lot of us who work in the oil and gas industry and other industries, and Alberta's hurting. We're hurting for jobs and it shows," he said. A prayer for the truckers and rousing chorus of Oh Canada just prior to #convoy leaving Red Deer. Official count is 159 trucks departing for Ottawa. pic.twitter.com/4QAWCk6dMX —@TerryReithCBC "All these trucks out here, they should be working, but they're not because of what's happening in our energy sector. So, we need to put this forward." The group passed through Medicine Hat around 3:30 p.m. MT, with plans to arrive in Regina on Thursday evening. RCMP counted 170 vehicles when the group departed Thursday morning and participants reported that another 20 or so joined the convoy in Medicine Hat. Many of the trucks have banners denouncing Bill C-69, the new Impact Assessment Act, which the federal Liberals say is meant to revamp and streamline the country's system for approving industrial projects, including new oil pipelines. Opponents fear the bill will do the opposite. The new law would lift limits on who can participate in the assessment process and create an early-phase consultation with Indigenous communities and anyone else who could be impacted by a project. It would also set out new timelines and parameters for reviews of proposed projects and eliminate overlapping assessments that are currently required for some projects, the federal government says. Convoy driver Mike Jepson says the point of the four-day trek to Ottawa is to raise awareness of the problems facing the oil and gas sector. (Colleen Underwood/CBC) Protesters in the convoy are also opposed to Bill C-48, which would prohibit tankers carrying crude oil from loading or unloading at ports in northern British Columbia, formalizing a similar, voluntary ban that has been in place in the region for the past 20 years. Opponents fear it would kill off a potential international shipping route for Canada's energy products at a time of constrained pipeline capacity for Alberta oil. Convoy ride-along CBC News rode along with Ralph Sinclair as he set off in the convoy. "Away we go. This is fantastic support for the oil industry in Canada," said Sinclair, who operates a company that supplies automotive parts to many different sectors, including the oil and gas industry. "Sales have been down considerably this year. No optimism of work coming ahead, so nobody's fixing vehicles and moving ahead with anything." A convoy of trucks left Red Deer on Thursday, bound for Ottawa to demand the federal government do more to help the oil and gas industry in Western Canada. (Tiphanie Roquette/Radio Canada) It's not just the oil industry that's being harmed by the downturn and the failure to build new pipeline capacity to get oilsands crude to market, Sinclair said. "It's every industry. It trickles down." On the road, Sinclair pointed to the parking lot of a central Alberta oilfield service's firm as an example of the hard times facing the industry. "We're going past one of Calfrac's yards. It's right full of trucks. Normally at this time of year there's maybe a third of those trucks sitting there. Most of them are sitting there parked because they've got no work." Convoy participant Ralph Sinclair talks to CBC News as he sets off from Red Deer for the long drive to Ottawa. (CBC) Many of the convoy participants are sporting yellow vests, which became the symbol of a protest movement that began in France last year and was initially focused on economic injustice. Convoy organizer Glen Carritt told the Calgary Eyeopener that his movement does not share any of the racist or radical views espoused by some people who refer to themselves as yellow vesters. "Every respectful, peaceful, non-radical Canadian is welcome to join in this rally. We have no tolerance for racism, hate or any people of that nature. That's not what this is about," he said. "Everybody's welcome that has had any concern with the current government." One of those sporting a yellow vest was Kevin Peters. He said came down from Fort McMurray, Alta., to join the convoy, because he wants the country to realize how much his hometown is suffering. Kevin Peters of Fort McMurray, Alta., says the federal government is treating Western Canada disrespectfully. (CBC) "People are losing their jobs daily," he said. "People are losing their homes, losing their businesses. Fort McMurray is almost the heart of this country when it comes to the money going to the government, and they think it's acceptable to disrespect us? "We're worried about what our government's doing. Everyone's feeling like we've been treated unfairly.<doc-sep>
Share this Story: And they're off! Convoy starts rolling towards Ottawa And they're off! Convoy starts rolling towards Ottawa Jim Wells/Postmedia Article content More than a hundred pedals are set to hit the metal Thursday morning as part of a convoy of semi-trucks bound for Ottawa to protest stalled pipeline projects and underscore the country’s economic struggles. Jason Corbeil, one of the convoy organizers, was surprised with the response to the mobile protest, saying he was getting requests to join the convoy as late as Wednesday evening. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or And they're off! Convoy starts rolling towards Ottawa Back to video “I thought this was going to take a lot longer than it did, but there’s a lot of people who are not happy with the way things are going,” Corbeil said of the protesters’ concerns over the stalled Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, as well as federal bills C-69 and C-48. Columnist Licia Corbella travelled with the convoy this morning. Read her live coverage here: Thursday’s convoy is the latest and largest in a series of similar protests across the province in recent months, including one in Edmonton and another in Nisku. Article content And even though the convoy will depart from Red Deer on Valentine’s Day, Corbeil said the group’s message is anything but a love letter to the federal government. “Every day (the prime minister) seems to be making it easier to get people involved,” he said. Jim Wells/Postmedia From Red Deer, the convoy will travel south to Calgary and then east, passing through Strathmore and heading along the Trans-Canada Highway through Medicine Hat. From there, the pack will continue east into Saskatchewan, passing through Gull Lake and Swift Current before stopping for the night in Regina on the first day of travel. The convoy is to leave Regina at 6 a.m. on Friday before reaching Virden, Man., where another convoy will link up en route to a planned stop in Kenora, Ont. Saturday will see the convoy travel to Sault St. Marie, Ont., and on Sunday it is scheduled to reach Arnprior, Ont., just outside Ottawa. The convoy will take one day of rest off the road before making the last leg of the trip to Parliament Hill on Feb. 19. Organizer Glen Carritt said some of the protesters will rest in their trucks’ sleepers, while others will spend the nights in hotels. Jim Wells/Postmedia United We Roll! teamed up with protesters from the now-defunct Yellow Vest convoy after infighting caused that group to cancel its planned protest, but Carritt said any drama around duelling convoys is squarely in his rear-view mirror. “That stuff’s all history. We’re moving forward, this is where we’re going and everyone’s united,” he said. Article content Carritt said all those joining up with the convoy — including a group of farmers and veterans riding in a donated bus — will be “respectful, peaceful” Canadians looking to make their voices heard in the nation’s capital. “We’ve got a good core of grassroots people that are going and fighting all the way to Ottawa, and we’re really hoping people join in and give us support along the way,” he said, adding anyone is welcome to tag along with the convoy on its trek. “We don’t discriminate, but you might not want to go in front,” he said with a laugh. “We’d love to be able to stop in every city, but the key is we’ve got to get to Ottawa.” RRumbolt@postmedia.com On Twitter: @RCRumbolt Share this article in your social network Calgary Herald Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Calgary Herald Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending