It has been one year since the 2022 Freedom Convoy. We, as a collective group of healthcare professionals, are filled with love and gratitude for this simple movement that became internationally recognized and, in many cases, replicated. The Trucker Convoy provided us with the energy, love, and unity needed to propel our legal case, band together to support each other, and hope for change.
One year later, I ask you to reflect on where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going. While the visible signs of protests and demonstrations have quieted in many cities within BC, our province continues to be filled with ongoing mistrust, anger, and a lack of recognition by our government to right their wrongs. I continue to mourn for the Canada I thought I knew. For me, it will never be the same. Many people act differently, and perhaps it is only the truly sensitive souls that can feel this. Unvaccinated health care professionals have not been hired back within their respective health authorities within BC. Many have sought out alternative forms of livelihood and profession. Many have left BC.
Despite this part of me that feels a static sadness, there is another part that feels acceptance and movement. The Freedom Convoy was a dynamic symbol of freedom. It evolved when faced with both ups and downs. People of all different cultures, faiths, and history joined together for a common cause. It showcased freedom through unity, and this is a message that we can take with us moving forward.
Freedom is our birthright and is not something that must be earned or bought. Faced with freedom, some people run and hide; it is easier to be told what to do and where to go than be subjected to one’s own moral compass and character. This involves personal responsibility and an active participation in one’s local community. It does take work; however, the freedom to act on one’s dreams, goals, and choices, provided these do not attack or damage another human, is worth every bit of effort.
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, let us rekindle that light of unity among all healthcare professionals and the public we serve, to remember our common goal. This goal is to respect and maintain freedom for all Canadian citizens regarding their health and wellness decisions. And, most importantly, people must be given informed consent before receiving any medical treatment. We will never forget the division that has been sown among people over these past years but will continue to weed out and sift through truth from fiction, while building back our freedoms that were always ours from the start.
