There was another so-called freedom convoy in Ottawa this week, this time called Rolling Thunder; hundreds, if not thousands, of motorbikes roaring into the nation’s capital. It was far better controlled and much more peaceful than the trucker’s convoy. Nevertheless, the message is a dangerous one.
Some of these folks were no doubt good old guys and gals, out for a road trip on a sunny day after a long winter. But the agitators were well represented among them, stirring things up cloaked in a message of freedom, spewing hatred and conspiracy theories, and disrespecting Canada’s National War Memorial which is dedicated to those who actually gave or risked their lives to protect our freedom and our ability to live in one of the most envied countries in the world.
Here is what Catherine Clark, daughter of former Conservative Prime Minister Joe Clark, thought about what took place in Ottawa on the weekend: “Honestly. Civilians are dying in Ukraine. Children are starving in Yemen. And the people protesting in downtown Ottawa still have the guts to demand ‘freedom’? In a country with health care, public education, social services and a democratically elected government?”
Catherine McKenna, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister, put it more succinctly. She wrote, “It’s time to retake the Canadian flag and the word freedom from folks who spread hate, preach violence, and vow to overthrow the state. Whatever your politics, we are very fortunate to live in a free & democratic society. Far too many people around the world don’t have that privilege.”
McKenna, in another tweet, doubled down writing, “While I applaud the efforts of the Ottawa Police to deal with these folks now, we need a rebrand here. These aren’t freedom supporters. It’s a complete bastardization of the word. Hate, violence, breaking the law & working to overthrow govt – that’s not supporting freedom.”
Both of these women have a point, and it is one we should listen to. As these so-called freedom rallies grow around the country, as some politicians gleefully hitch a ride on that bandwagon, what does it all really mean?
Clearly, there is a growing movement here to undermine democracy as we know it with a false claim of fighting for our freedom. But how many people across this country really believe they are not free? How many would trade their place here for any other place in the world? Not many, I would guess.
Jim Coyle, a former Toronto Star reporter, put his finger on the problem when he wrote this: “The word ‘freedom’ has been twisted and abused beyond recognition. In the mouth of PP [Pierre Poilievre] and the ears of convoyists, it appears to mean flight from all responsibility, abdication of all duty to the common good, and the ability to do whatever the hell one wants.”
I do not know if Pierre Poilievre, a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, believes totally in Coyle’s definition of the “freedom fighters”, but I do believe he has hitched his wagon to this movement and encouraged many of those sentiments because he recognizes a momentum that could make him the next prime minister of Canada. Scary for me, because those principles of that movement, as they are defined by Jim Coyle, are not Conservative principles—no matter that there are some who would like to portray them as such for their own partisan purposes. For that reason alone I could never vote for Pierre Poilievre.
It is high time, in my view, that we tone down the rhetoric in this country instead of ratcheting up the anger and frustration brought on primarily by what all Canadians have endured during the past two years. We have all, to one degree or another, become easy fodder for those with a vested interest in sowing discontent. Politicians have taken advantage of that and so have special interest groups with their own agenda for changing our way of life.
Scott Aitchison, also a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, said in a National Post interview, “The majority of Canadians are incredibly reasonable people who just want their government to do what it does well, get on with life and stop the screaming.” I think he is right about that, especially now in a post-pandemic period, and I believe that is what we should strive for.
We need to take back our flag from those who would use it to promote anger and disunity. Are there things in this country we can do better? Of course there are. Are there times we wish government would be less intrusive in our lives? Sure. Do we need militant groups who promote insurrection and civil disobedience to achieve that? Certainly not. That is why we have elections. That is true freedom. It is a freedom we should celebrate and not allow to be hijacked.
We need only look as far as China, Russia, and indeed to the ongoing, unstopped genocide in Ukraine to recognize how precious the freedom we enjoy in Canada is.
We have that freedom now and we are incredibly fortunate. We should not be fooled by those who attempt to convince us otherwise.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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To Lanor Lovegrove: From everything I’ve read, one reason is “they simply don’t like the rules.” I think it’s more complex than that, though. But scary nonetheless.
Hugh MacKenzie commentary and the following comments certainly gives one a lot to think about.
I’m asking myself is it really freedom these freedom convoys think they need or is it simply that they don’t like rules. Rules are put into place with the good of the majority in mind. Unfortunately there are those who dislike, even hate some of those rules. Which is only natural as we are all different. But, it is because we live in this wonderful country that we have the FREEDOM to choose…vote for…those who will make these rules. Plus we have the FREEDOM to protest….in a peaceful manner…those rules we don’t like. This freedom we all share was fought for, to the death, by many of our ancestors.
The thing we should all want, maybe more than anything, is peace.
It’s funny how all comments are in agreement with Hugh on this one.
First a troop of truckers and then a bevy of bikers, striking a pose and brandishing a fist for freedom! Who in heck wrote that, and can I expect anyone to believe it? If the weather had been foul, how many bedraggled souls would have shown up?
I rode a lot of bikes in my youth and know they are mostly fair weather transport. You can bundle up, but the lore and legend diminishes when even your shorts are wet and you look like a moving tarpaulin.
Bikes are lot easier to deal with than trucks since they are a lot easier to push over. Apparently the bill we will be asked to pay for policing will be less than the previous debacle.
Good on the guys and gals: they had an outing and went home. But please just ride people and don’t try to suggest you did it for anyone’s freedom!
Imagine a smoky bar many years hence. The room hushes as a bandy legged, helmet-head enters and sits alone in a booth.
One drinker turns to his younger friend and gestures with his bottle.
“Freedom fighter” he says. Like that says it all.
His friend peers. “Who? Him!” Apparently not convinced.
“Yeah. The rolling thunder demonstration back in ’22. Right to Ottawa and back. Even got rit-up!”
“Really!” the younger man seems impressed. “Got right in the ‘man’s face did he?”
“Not really. Peed on a tree. But he did it for freedom.”
The younger man gathered up his beer and moved to the other end of the bar.
Just for fun folks: as they should have said their ride was.
Just a note to express support for this point of view. I am also delighted to see sanity reign in the majority of comments.
Manufactured grievance is intended to undermine democracy, wherever it blooms. It distresses me when I see the poisonous messaging and delusion infect otherwise decent people.
Stay strong, keep informed, and godspeed to all those battling fascism around the world. Especially Ukraine!
I agree 100% with Hugh’s article and 6 of the 7 comments to date. Only 15% of the world’s 8 billion people (including Canadians) live in countries where everyone, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status has roughly equal access to political power. And 30% of the world’s democracies (including our neighbors to the south) are living in recently backsliding democracies. That is a dangerous trend. Our freedom is fragile. We must robustly guard our freedom against these fake so-called freedom fighters who would take it away because they have absolutely no idea what they are doing. And by the way, the BBC and the CBC are rated among the world’s most respected and unbiased media outlets.
Mr. Logagianes: I do not entirely understand your post.
For example, “Trudeau subsidizes the national media”. Only Trudeau? Our National CBC has been a part of our lives for decades, under all forms/parties of Federal leaders and legislators.
I personally have no difficulty in my taxes being used for this purpose and have donated to “The Friends of CBC” in the past.
For example, I have no difficulty listening to such programs as “Power Politics” which has several political pundits opining on whatever government and leader is in power at the time.
I appreciate that CBC exists in the cities and towns across the country. I also appreciate CBC radio for music, news, podcasts.
However, your general opinion I do not understand as it is written. Care to elaborate?
Our Freedom is in jeopardy when taxes are used in this manner.
Trudeau subsidizes the national media and Ford is using our tax dollars to subsidize the Toronto Star’s application for and online gaming site. This is how the feds and the province use are scarce resources. We now pay to help them avoid scrutiny from the press.
Can you achieve a free and just society this way?
Excellent article by Hugh, and all so true. These “demonstrators” are selfish attention seekers and don’t appreciate what Freedom they have in this country. They need to go out and help those in need. It would be much more productive!
Excellent article Mr. Mackenzie;
Populism, as we have witnessed it in Nazi Germany and in GOP politics to the south, is emotional abuse of the electorate. It fans the “feelings” of fear, hatred, and anger into mob mentality and mob action.
It divisively classifies “the other” human beings and definitely puts us on simplistic “teams” of thinking and action.
Populism is antecedent to civil war among its people. Trumpist GOP have denigrated political elections to the banality of a football game, with political plays to overthrow a duly elected government. Life is not a football game. Governance is not a football game. Thank you for writing this column, we can learn something from it.
I agree with Hugh’s assessment of these so called “freedom rallys”. Canada is a great country to live and as such we are privileged to be Canadian.
Let’s keep it that way !
Excellent article Hugh.
What this “freedom talk” is really about is self-interest. It is a childish, ignorant – in all senses of the word – demand for participants to be able to do what they want, when they want, regardless of anyone else. ‘Freedom’ is limited to their own reflection in a very narrow mirror.
Instead of a self-serving, diesel-stinking, neighbourhood-clogging mob that has a negative effect on the freedom of others, they should consider going home, picking up a book and learning about Canada and the world from the perspectives of those in Canada and elsewhere, whose freedoms really are infringed upon.
That protest , like the previous bunch of campers , has zero to do with My Freedom and is not what Conservatives are about .Right wing rhetoric and phony causes are more reminiscent of Trumpist politics !