Alberta, Saskatchewan Premiers Co-Sign Letter With 16 US Governors Calling on Feds to Drop Vaccine Mandates for Truckers

Trucks are seen parked in central Ottawa on Feb. 14, 2022, in protest of federal COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. (Richard Moore/The Epoch Times)

The Premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan have co-signed a letter along with 16 U.S. governors, urging both countries’ federal governments to immediately drop vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers.

The signatories of the letter called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden to immediately reinstate previous vaccine and quarantine exemptions for cross-border truck drivers.

“We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated. However, we are deeply concerned that terminating these exemptions has had demonstrably negative impacts on the North American supply chain, the cost of living, and access to essential products for people in both of our countries,” says the letter signed on Feb. 16.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said on Feb. 16 in a Twitter post that the vaccine mandate is “bad public health theatre” and that it “needs to go.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said on Twitter that with North America already facing supply chain constraints, these measures “will place significant pressure” on Canadian and American families.

Moe’s remarks echo those in the letter, which said the timing of the decision to terminate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions for truck drivers “could not have been worse,” as North America already faces serious supply chain constraints.

“These constraints, combined with increasing inflation, place significant burdens on the residents of Canada and the United States,” the letter said.

“Furthermore, transportation associations have informed us that the lack of exemptions will force thousands of drivers out of the trucking industry, which is already facing a significant workforce shortage. The removal of these exemptions is ultimately unnecessary, and we cannot afford to lose any more truck drivers who transport food and other vital supplies across the border.”

On Feb. 8, Saskatchewan announced plans to lift all COVID-19 vaccination mandates on Feb. 14, while masking rules will expire by the end of the month. Alberta also ended its vaccine mandate on Feb. 8, while lifting most other public health restrictions, including masking, on March 1.

The joint letter comes after Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 to address the ongoing protests in Ottawa against the federal government’s COVID-19 mandates. The Act gives authorities sweeping additional powers such as providing legal tools to cut off funding to the protesters or freezing the corporate accounts of companies whose trucks are used in any blockades and removing their insurance.

The protests initially started in opposition to the federal government’s vaccination mandate for truck drivers crossing into Canada from the United States, which came into effect on Jan. 15. Under the mandate, Canadian truck drivers must be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a two-week quarantine upon returning to Canada.

U.S. authorities announced similar requirements starting Jan. 22 for non-U.S. nationals crossing into the United States who are not vaccinated, including non-U.S. truck drivers.

The majority of Canadian premiers—Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—have said the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act is unwarranted.