Police in Kingston, Ont. will be temporarily closing roads in the west end Thursday afternoon as the ‘Freedom Convoy’ arrives in the city on its way to Ottawa to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other government policies.
Beginning at 5 p.m., police will begin erecting barricades and closing Gardiners Road at Cataraqui Woods Drive to the south and Highway 38 at McIvor Road to the north.
"While not condoning or approving of the convoy, Kingston Police is working in conjunction with the Ontario Provincial Police, Kingston Fire & Rescue, Frontenac Paramedic Services, and various departments with the City of Kingston to reduce any impact on the Kingston community and surrounding area," said Kingston police in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the Canada Unity website, the convoy will depart Vaughan, Ont. at 12 p.m. and arrive in Kingston at 5 p.m. Thursday. The convoy will travel along Hwy. 401, stopping in Port Hope, Ont. at 2 p.m., before making its way to Kingston.
The trucker convoy arrived in the Greater Toronto Area just before 12 p.m. Thursday, after two groups travelled from the Windsor area and Niagara Falls.
Ministry of Transportation cameras showed crowds gathering at the Hwy. 401 and Keele interchange in Toronto to show support for the convoy as it travels through the city.
Ontario Provincial Police have warned motorists about the potential for significant delays as the convoy travels through the Toronto area to Kingston.
"The information we have is that there are four separate convoys at least, including Windsor, Sarnia, Niagara Falls and the Toronto area all coming together," said Sgt. Steve Koopman of Kingston police Thursday afternoon.
Koopman says police have been planning to try to minimize traffic disruptions.
"The situation is quite dynamic because even the convoys themselves aren’t 100 per cent organized or know truly what their numbers are going to be until they hit the highway and they start coming eastbound," said Koopman.
Kingston police are working with Ontario Provincial Police and other agencies to monitor the convoy.
Police in Kingston are asking motorists to avoid Gardiners Road from other access point roadways such as Creekford Road, Centennial Drive, Midland Avenue and Fortune Crescent.
During the road closures, Kingston Transit will not provide service at the INVISTA Centre, and detours will be set up.
"The convoy will be directed towards parking lots east of Gardiners Rd and/or on roadways that are likely to include Centennial Drive, Fortune Crescent, Venture Drive and Resource Road," said police.
"Motorists are asked to avoid these areas. All efforts will be made to ensure access to private businesses along these roads remain open."
Motorists are also being asked to avoid Gardiners Road and Highway 38 Friday morning when the convoy departs Kingston.
The convoy of truckers and supporters protesting vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions are expected to arrive on Parliament Hill Saturday. The movement has gatheredxjmtzyw steam nationwide, with videos showing highway gatherings in support of the truckers.
The Canada Unity website says convoys will depart Kingston on Friday and Saturday for Ottawa.
Businesses in Kingston
The Smoke ‘N’ Barrel in Kingston says it will stay open despite the road closures in the area.
"Obviously, it’s a fluid situation and it’s hard to predict exactly what’s going to happen but we had already stocked up getting ready for hopefully a busy night in the area," said Neil Highet, managing partner of Smoke ‘N’ Barrel.
"With the road closing it makes things a little bit uncertain with what kind of business we might expect."
Highet says they didn’t get into the business to be political, and will feed whoever wants food Thursday and Friday.
"All we know is open and close and adapting and overcoming and that’s not a new thing for our industry," said Highet.
"We’ve certainly been under the gun a lot over the last two years but adapting and overcoming is what we do in the restaurant business and again. We’re about hospitality."
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
Supporters of the Freedom Convoy 2022 to Ottawa line up along the Trans-Canada Highway near Headingley, Man. on Jan. 25, 2022 (CTV News Photo)
