Mandates continue their blockade at the ambassador bridge. Canadian authorities launched a plan to end it soon, but the protesters say they’re in it for the long haul. Time to let it rip on the panel tonight, an American who supports a protest in Canada. Holly Spalding profession they do, president of
The Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce. Mickey Blast Field, former head of the Michigan Trucking Association, plus the journalists who knows the auto industry inside and out. Host of auto line dot TV. John McElroy is back. There’s always anchor a journey, Charlie Langton, but the mayor Windsor agreed to join
Us tonight, but got called away to an urgent meeting. Not sure what that means. But we’ll try to explore it later in the show, but we begin tonight with Virginia Grimaldi. She’s in Windsor. She’s now a trucker. She’s a bartender and entrepreneur, but also one of the protesters who blocked the
Ambassador Bridge, Virginia Thanks for being here first of all, Yes, you have the You have the right to protest Virginia protest the mandates in your country. But what gives you the right to shut down and international bridge like gives the government the right to shut down bars every two weeks. What
Gives us the right to shut down the International bridge and for the record, despite what some comments made by our mayor this morning, we are not on private property. We are maintaining on public property. I was personally in fact, the one showing everybody where the line was between private property and
The property. Um And the as as most of you know, the Ambassador Bridge is the busiest international border crossing in the world. Um it, uh, I believe it’s one third of trade done. Canada International trade in Canada comes across the ambassador bridge and at this point, that’s why we need to
Shut it down. We need to have an impact. We need to have Ottawa feel the impact that their mandates are having on us so concerned at all going on. Are you at all concerned The blockade could hurt both Canadian and American workers, cutting their hours and cutting their patient. It’s going to
Hurt me hating American workers anymore than these mandates. Have my hours have been cut. My jobs have been lost. My bills have gone into debt. And every other Canadian I know is in the same boat. So you know this is true days, but you know what? Chrysler in the Big Three are
Upset. Well, now we’ve got people’s attention. Now Trudeau’s talking now towards talking Now it drew Jellicles is talking. But for the last two years Forget two days, two years of small businesses, local restaurants and bars being shut down, not just across winter, but across Ontario and across Canada, and when they have been
Opened a little bit of time, their capacity being reduced by 50% And then sometimes it’s 50% of their only their outdoor capacity. You know what about our jobs? What about our bills? What about our families? Let’s review in assisted request. I want to bring you in because you represent businesses in the city
Of Windsor and Essex. I understand that the city Windsor just requested an injunction. If approved, how far will the city the business community be willing to go to end the blockade, knowing that the use of force could ignite an even bigger protest? Yeah You know, I’m in the business community is
Really interested in making sure that traffic is open to trade. The trade continues unhindered. It is affecting businesses on both sides. It’s affecting people. It’s affecting people’s livelihoods. Ah so whatever means is appropriate by this city law enforcement. They will take that action from the business perspective. You want
To block it to end at the earliest. And we want, you know businesses on both sides to open up. And to continue business as normal. Meanwhile Holly You’re an American who’s been raising money for the protesters. How much have you raised so far? We’ve raised over 3600 and
$36,000 to feed the truckers. We are going to bigger all the logistics out and figure out how to get the food to the truckers . How often what they need. We’re going to get their needs in Michigan and in Canada. And no one can stop us. Well, we
Understand that there was a go fund me page set up a few days ago Raised $10 million. But then there was some pushback from the federal government on this side of the border and in Canada. Now that money has been suspended and we told us being refunded. Have you been approached by
Anybody regarding the money you’ve raised of them? I’ve literally just set this up yesterday. I decided to set it up. Go get a bank account set up that separate from el my personal stuff. So I haven’t even thought about it. They can do what they want to try and
Shut us down. I will figure out a way to get the money to the truckers. We’re going to take care of the truckers, no matter what they do. I’ll figure it out . We’ll figure it out. We have the power and we’re going to take our country back. John
McIlroy. There’s a passion on both sides here. We’re talking to about a major honoree for the auto industry, and the blockade has already having a ripple effect. How bad is it now? How much worse could it get? It’s already bad for General Motors, Toyota Stellantis have already announced that they have to
Close plants, you know, Think about it. A typical assembly plant builds about 1000 cars a day, probably the manufacturing value of each one of those vehicles is about $40,000. That’s $40 million a day per plant, and I’m just looking here . The Anderson economic group came out and said already
Michigan workers have lost $51 million in wages because of this . How bad could it get? It can be really devastating. This is an industry that’s been hit by the chip shortage by Covid. It’s trying to get back on its feet, right? This is not good at all. What’s going on right now?
Absolutely not. And Mickey. Let me bring in Mickey here because you heard about the shortages of the chips in the auto industry. We also dealing with a shortage of truck drivers, Mickey And now 80,000 people go ahead. No Somebody called the crisis on top of the crisis. So you have a
Shortage of truck drivers, and now you have the blockade. What’s the way out of this mess? I think more than anything is listening to the truck drivers. If this were labor dispute if this were political protest if this were signs being carried on the sidewalk, you’d listen to
The to the to the to the concerns and, uh, truckers have drawn the line in the sand. Companies are twerking companies are caught in the middle. We’re trying to serve customers were trying to keep the commerce rolling just as we’ve done as an industry through the pandemic can before and we’ve had 80,000
Truck driver shortage. 30,000 more since the pandemic has begun, and then the artificial impediment of the mandate on the border of the restrictions on the border of requiring the vaccinations in proof of that. Only intensifies that all the more the truckers ought to be listened to. Instead of being
Name called and everything else because the dirty little secret is they want to get back to work as well, too. They were the ones who were delivering the vital goods during the pandemic, and they want to be back. Doing the legitimate commerce, but they’re trying to make their voice heard
Now, so everybody’s in a hot spot listening would be the first solution. And Charlie, You’ve been covering this story all day. How many protesters are out there? And do they have the support of the Canadians is sitting at home right now, just watching it on TV. Well, I think
For the most part, what I’d like to say is that I think Virginia for giving me a personal escort through the protests. She she could literally closed on Wyandotte Street. One of the main arteries get to the bridge . But I will say one thing about the protesters. This is a very
Passionate group. There’s no question about it. We’re hearing it tonight. But they’re also very polite and they also respecting every single law. There’s no destruction. There’s no meanness. There’s nothing and if anything, it’s the opposite. These people are passionate and they’re not against vaccines. They are against a mandate by
The governor by the government. I should say of Canada. Now. How does that translate? Listen, uh, I think What has to happen here is that the Canadian government has got to sit down, Mickey seven. Virginia You’ve got to sit down and discuss it. These truckers have been through a
Lot. I’ve talked to many, many of them. They did go out during the pandemic. Many of them had their jobs cut. Many of them were two years had no money coming in and that mandates unfortunately closed a lot of businesses and these people took the brunt of it. So now listen
Many of our in their own space. It’s a hassle going over the border. It’s a hassle wearing masks. If you’re vaccinated, you should be given some credit for that. And I think that if the government didn’t perhaps encouraged too much, I think a lot of these truckers probably
Would the question you asked me because they have the support of the Canadians. From what I’ve seen. Yes but not every Canadian, just like you know, the United States. Everyone Some people want Max mandated masks and vaccines. Others don’t but I’ll tell you this group. I have
To give him a lot of credit, and I think they do have a lot of support in Canada. Let me understand this. I’m hearing that 90% of the Canadian truckers vaccinated anyway that you’re only talking about a small percent who are not vaccinated. Why has this become such a big issue? Because it’s
Not about being vaccinated or not being vaccinated friends. It’s about the government, saying we have to do this. That’s what it is. I’m not saying Don’t get vaccinated. I’m not saying Don’t wear your mask. I was at the protest if you look on the winter Freedom Convoy, Facebook page, you will see, uh
, probably a good dozen live videos from me and I’m wearing a mask in many of them because it’s a crowded space. Nobody’s saying not to take probe precautions against covid or the flu or the cool or anything else that comes on. What we’re saying is, we have a right to make our
Own medical decisions, and the government doesn’t get to tell us that we have to do this in order to maintain our jobs or go to grocery stores. Or anything else. We should be able to talk to our own doctors and make our own choices and protect our own
Families in our own way. And if that means getting back scented then by all means, we’ll do it. But we are intelligent people as a nation and let us make up our own minds. Ah Cule. If I could I interject just the second truck drivers are in their cab all
Alone. Uh, 90 to 95% of the time. They don’t come into contact with a lot of other people. They’re not out mingling . They’re not out spreading and they’ve been the front line of this pandemic all along. It’s not asking all that much to give a little attitude. There they
Remember this line in the sand was drawn artificially on January 15th before that, in the United States, truckers had an exemption from the ocean mandates that have now been thrown out. Truckers have been safe and they’ve been serving us all along. It’s a good opportunity to listen to them.
That’s going to help the companies that trucking companies, the manufacturers. And the truck drivers. There’s no harm in having the discussion instead of the aspirations of we must end this now because we all agree It ought to end. Listen to the truck drivers. And you know , we’ve had no in Canada. No
Accusations or cause for concern that Covid was being spread by truck drivers. We’ve never had no break up the flu or any other illnesses. H one n one stars back in 2000 and three. We’ve never had an issue that this was coming from the hot truck drivers and that largely speaks
To what What Mickey said here that they stay in their calves, and that’s been the mandate of Covid since Covid state started was that they were made in their calves will loading and unloading, so, especially to bring this to the table. The truckers, it’s definitely crossed above and beyond the
Line, it was already crossing. I panel We’re out of time for segment one. But coming up. We’re going to talk about the protests in Canada as a possible blueprint for demonstrations here in the USA told They call themselves the Freedom convoy. Welcome back to let it rip what began last month, with
Canadian truckers crowding the streets of the capital city of Ottawa, denouncing Covid restrictions has spread not only to Windsor but also the Paris, Australia, Belgium. And the Department of Homeland Security warns We could also see some kind of protest near the Super Bowl this weekend, and another possible convoy headed to
Washington, D. C in March. So Holly what’s the end game to get rid of all mandates? So we want the world to wake up. We’re being run by a tyrannical government that is not listening to we, the people we no longer consent of the governed. We govern Do not give consent
Anymore. We want our country back. We want us to make what the judgment. We want Toys. We want choice to wear math. We want toys to get vaccinated. We want the choice. It should be ours. Even if that choice means that people die. People have already died. There’s been
Thousands of people millions of people that have died, my mom being one of them. She didn’t die in vain. She was a freedom fighter, and I am continuing the fight to fight for our freedom for my kids for their grandkids . We’re going. We’re not stopping. We’re going to keep
Going. We will not bend. We will not break. We will keep going. You can do whatever you want to us. We will keep fighting. And I don’t think it’s fair to say at the expense of people dying first of all any time that people have fought for freedom,
And I’d like to address a comment that Mayor George Elkins made this morning and I really wish he was here to speak with me about it. Um he specifically said this morning, uh, that the protesters in Windsor Who had stated that they were willing to die for the rates and freedoms
Were met mentally unstable while Mayor Judy Elkins I ask you now , what does that mean? You say about our soldiers that fight and die for our rights and freedoms overseas in both Canada and us? I would really like to hear your answer to that. How does that make a mentally
Unstable? Nobody is staying in Windsor. That we are going to jump into violence. In fact, there is a huge mandate of no violence. If somebody does get a little bit lippy, we sit them down and say no, that is not what’s happening in Windsor. That’s not the vibe in Ottawa.
So nobody is saying that this is going to get violent and for you to address people who are standing up for the rights and freedoms mentally unstable, I think Was a huge disrespect to the entire community as a whole . Not just protesters. You clearly don’t know what you’re
Talking about. And I was grossly offended and just stuff for me to see you say that this morning. Judge Jonathan Let me talk to John McElroy, too, because this is difficult politically to for the auto industry because they have interests on both sides of the border, John, they have to tread
Lightly. Not get into the political fight, but also maintain their operations as profitable companies. That’s exactly right. And while everybody’s got the right to protest, and you don’t want it to get violent we’re not talking about you’re talking about physical violence. Let’s talk about the economic violence that’s being done here of people
Losing how hold on you’ve had plenty to talk about here. Hold on, so people losing $50 million in wages just in Michigan. The auto industry. Potentially it’s going to lose a couple of billion dollars on this. So while you say there’s no violence involved, there’s definitely economic violence
Involved. And so even though I sympathize very much that you may have been hurt economically . I’m sorry. That happened. That doesn’t give you the right to take it out on other people. We went around vibrant. Other people have been taking out things on all of us. We’re not
Taking it out on the arms industry. I don’t argue with that. I don’t argue with that. But that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on others. We can’t go to work. How are we going to buy your car’s interconnected and that’s what you’re not seeing? You don’t
Know. I sympathize. I totally sympathize with you having lost work and wages. It doesn’t give you the right to go and hurt. Others isn’t the reality. Projecting what our bodies. But isn’t the reality though the vaccination rates are going up, and covid numbers are going down the same maybe out of this, and
So do we really need a mandate, and I think that’s probably the real issue here. I’m also sure we do need them anymore. And if someone wants to wear a mask, they’re going to wear a mask. Somebody want to get back stated they will. We can encourage them
Every single day to do that. And I think it’s no As of today. These mandates in Saskatchewan and in Alberta have been lifted. Where is Premier Doug Ford to talk to us about Ontario. We might be willing to give up a little bit and let some of the truck start load slowly going
Through. Uh I know of drug court lifted the mandate for Ontario. Be willing to negotiate. Maybe the wind up street entrance. We’re not moving anybody off here until Trudeau all they say. But you know, you give some to take some other big provinces now have had lifted mandates and
Bc I believe is talking about it. I’m not 100% sure on that. I know they’ve had much more relaxed mandate Stoke throughout the last two years in Ontario did because I was living in BC for a year of this Um, you know, and again, Mayor Mayor. If you’re joking, you should be
Stepping up and talking to people talking to Doug Pork and defending the citizens of winter . Your constituents that elected you in if you want. We need you to do something you created. I know you’re not the mayor. I know you’re not an elected official. But would you be
Willing To negotiate such that you could give more freedom to the people of Windsor to the province of Ontario and maintain your businesses at the same time is that possible, especially with the case rates. And the death rates falling right now. Again. You know, I’m not going
To speak on behalf of the mirror or the health officials. But I think Ontario is, um the path of reducing and easy, not the restrictions. You know we are doing that interrupt, so I would appreciate if you don’t. Uh so there is a three step process that is in place. You know,
We’ve done with step one. The next step that is coming up on February 14 Sorry. It’s coming up 21st. And then, uh, another 21 days and then we’ll be the first step. Um is that soon enough fast enough. I think that’s something that can be question that can be reviewed.
Uh and I’m one of those that is saying that look, let’s look at the data. Let’s see if we can compress the timeline so that we can have, you know, moving from one stage to the next sooner and faster. Uh but again, we cannot really take this off overnight.
There is a certain process and we have to listen to the experts in the Middle East overnight. And yes, that timeline can be questioned. But there is a time when in place and that is something that we all have to do YouTube. Yes we can question
That. Yes we can go back to the government and said you carry it and see if you can complicit Now I’m one of those that have that have been asking for that to happen until that time. There is a certain process in place that we have to remind And what? What
One of the complaint I’ve been hearing, though One of complaints I’ve been hearing is that some of the elected officials have had difficulty identifying the leaders of the group. Ah Virginia, would you consider yourself a leader? Would you be in the negotiating room? I mean, if I was asked to
Be, I’d be more than happy to be, and it’s not hard for them to figure out who the leaders of the group are in Windsor. Look at the photos. Go Look on Facebook. Come down. Nobody’s come down to talk to us. The point the police and the Okapi
Come talk to us to negotiate where we have to move from public safety. I was one of the people negotiating with the L P P on wind up street last night, and they were very, very kind. That winter police, no pp were very willing to work with us, and we had no problems
Negotiating with anybody. Mayor George Wilkins. You’re welcome to come down and speak to anybody down there, you know, set up a time in a date and we will rally and we will make a statement and we will send somebody down to meet you whether it’s going to be myself
Or somebody else. I can’t tell you that right now. But you know you haven’t come and ask to speak to anybody. All you’ve done is call names. And try to be sneaky and go against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Specifically Section C and section or three Tuesday and
To be which are also based off of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights section. 20 parenthesis one and You’re You’re Right now Your only concern is to kiss up to the corporations that are putting pressure on you and not represent your elected constituents. You want to go around back door. And two
Backdoor meetings. That’s why you don’t want to find somebody to represent us. To have a mandate made to have us physically removed. It’s not going to happen, Mr Delicate, come and speak with that Be a grown up. Your I go ahead. I agree with you that the tide is
Turning within the last 48 hours , Four provinces have reduced their restrictions in three states have dropped their restrictions as well, too. Connecticut Delaware in New York . And I think that is the direction and the trend. There is no reason that we can’t at least have the discussion and
Lifting the mandates, especially as it regards the truckers who are in their cab. Ah and I wanted to point out to the Angus Reid Institute has pointed out in Poland that they’ve done that The majority of Canadians agree with the truckers. We don’t agree with the impacts. We all
Want the solution to this impasse, but it’s not going to happen by, uh lobbying accusations back and forth. It’s going to be done by discussions and negotiations on the legitimate issues of lifting the mandate. And on that we can all agree. Panel Thank Time for fin. Let’s go beginning with college.
Thank you And I want to send everybody to the gifts. Then go , Uh, Chuck Ear’s for Freedom. Michigan keep fighting for freedom. Yes. The economies of both countries hurting, uh, we need to have the locket removed at the earliest. Everybody’s got a right to protest, but not at
The cost of other people’s lives. You Mickey. Let’s get the truckers back to doing what they do best delivering our goods on time and in great condition. Let’s just listen to him. John like the French philosopher, Voltaire said, though I disagree with what you say I will defend
To the death your right to say it, but not when you start hurting the livelihoods of other people, Virginia I call and I challenge all of our government officials, especially here in Canada, to come and sit and come to the bargaining table. It’s time to have a conve
