Opinion

A strange thing happened to the leaders of the so-called freedom convoy during their occupation of downtown Ottawa last winter: they became celebrities. Now, almost a year later, they desperately want back into the spotlight and plan to use another gathering — this time in Winnipeg — to reclaim their infamy.

Freedom convoy organizers and their supporters contributed exactly nothing to society during the COVID-19 pandemic. They mostly whined and complained about vaccine mandates and mask rules. Some expressed a desire to overthrow the government, while others used the event to wage partisan attacks (often with profanity-laced flags) against the federal Liberal government.

Meanwhile, front-line health professionals across Canada worked tirelessly around the clock to save lives, while ordinary Canadians followed public health rules and made sacrifices to mitigate the spread of a deadly virus.

The adults in the room took responsible action to protect themselves, their families and the community at large; freedom convoy organizers threw hissy fits and occupied cities such as Ottawa and Winnipeg. They mocked people who wore masks, spread disinformation about vaccines and made erroneous claims about breaches to their Charter rights.

Much to…