Sheila Gunn Reid examines the 8th-day carbon tax protest near Calgary, now drawing convoy participants from Edmonton, BC towns, and livestock like three horses. Protesters, citing financial collapse—one lost 15 pounds since January—avoid lane blockages but escalate tactics, including a Saturday convoy, after 80–90% of drivers honk in support. They compare their defiance to the 2022 convoy protests, framing it as resistance against "tyranny." Reid contrasts minimal political pushback with past federal crackdowns, noting Alberta’s policy wins (overturning pipeline bans) fueled broader provincial rebellion. Mark’s feedback ties Trudeau’s alleged corruption—like late-night document dumps—to MPs’ $5.525M annual raises amid carbon tax hikes, underscoring systemic distrust driving the movement. [Automatically generated summary]
So joining me now is sometime journalist, but also heavy-duty behind-the-scenes social media poster for us here at Rebel News, my friend Angelique Toy.
And she's here to talk about what she has seen happening down at the, well, I think it's one of two or three remaining carbon tax protests across the country.
These people, it feels like the convoy band is getting back together.
Tell us what's going on and where the protest is.
So the main rally, I'd say just around Calgary is on Highway 1 and 22 Interchange.
That's just west of the city at the Petro Canada there.
And yeah, people have been rallying.
I think today is day eight.
They started on April 1st, which is the day the carbon tax came into effect.
So they've been going strong.
So familiar faces?
Are these, you know, like there are people who are the, I don't know, I was going to say professional, but they definitely don't get paid.
They're not on the left.
Those people get paid.
But who's in the protest?
Who's making up the protest?
Are we seeing familiar faces down there?
Is it all new people?
So it was to my surprise that there actually weren't that many people that you'd see in the regular like Calgary rallies.
Yeah, it definitely is.
But I've been speaking to a lot of people there and a lot of people convoyed either from Edmonton, from BC.
There are actually a lot of people from BC, from the small towns.
So there are a lot of new faces.
Yeah, that's weird.
Because, you know, like there are, especially since the onset of COVID and with the onset of COVID came the anti-lockdown protests.
You got to know a lot of the people who were the local freedom fighters.
And they would turn up at, you know, to protest Trudeau if he were in town at the weekly COVID lockdown protests in Calgary.
A lot of the same faces.
So this surprises me, but also makes me very happy to see that there are new people energized in the anti-Trudeau tyranny movement.
Did you have an opportunity to talk to some of the people who are from out of town?
Like, I wonder why BCers are coming to Alberta to protest Trudeau's carbon tax when they have one of their own and they've had their own for a very long time.
They were the first people to have them.
So did they tell you why they came to Alberta?
What was your general sense there?
Yeah, so I did speak to one person on that specifically.
He just said there wasn't much going on in BC.
And it looks like Alberta, the people here are the ones taking the charge for freedom.
And he felt really inspired by that.
So he drove from a very far, from a town pretty far up north just to be here in this location in Alberta.
That makes me happy, but also sad at the same time, right?
Like it makes me happy that people know if you're going to stand up to tyranny, the best place to do it is in Alberta.
And it makes me sad that BC, a province that is being absolutely crushed by green policies and the cost of living, that there isn't much of resistance there.
That makes me very, very sad.
Yeah, I agree with you.
I know in Kelowna, in that area, the Okanagan, there definitely is a bit of an uprising to the resistance, but it's still not enough.
I think Alberta has really become the central zone for the fight for freedom.
Yeah, I think not just from the people, but finally from the government too.
Now, tell me what it's like down there.
How many people are there?
Are there RVs?
Like, how are people staying there for so long?
Are there people coming and going?
Tell me all about it.
Yeah, so typically the people from Calgary are just coming and going, but the people who have come from out of town, they have brought their trailers and they're there for the long haul.
They've got tons of firewood, campfires going, they've got pantries of food, there's a barbecue.
They did a Pegro sta just two days ago.
So yeah, the people are there and they're there to stay.
So what kind of support are they getting?
I mean, if they're there to stay, who's bringing in the supplies?
Who's bringing in the firewood?
What's the reception?
I think that's right.
You said it's right around the Petro Canada, like on your way out to Banff.
What's the reception from the people coming by?
So I think they've got a chat going because I did speak to Lady the other day and she said that people were asking for plates and stuff.
So it looks like they've got a whole chat and people are just putting requests out there and the people are being really supportive and bringing in what they need.
So it's just been a really supportive community for the whole entire time.
Now, traffic-wise, people going by, are they disruptive to traffic?
I know that people can get a little testy about that.
I actually think my son was stuck in the protest on the weekend.
Are they being accommodating to the traffic that goes in between Calgary and Banff in area?
So on the first day, they did block a lane.
They blocked one lane.
One lane.
Big deal.
Exactly.
So the traffic was backed up around three kilometers back into the city.
And then that lasted for a few hours.
The next day, as you guys probably saw, a whole team, a whole SWAT team of RCMP officers with heavy duty weapons came in and they blocked them from getting onto the highway.
And after that, the protesters understood that if they even got near the highway, they would face consequences.
So for days, they stayed away.
And then actually, yesterday, they studied through a bunch of traffic laws and they ended up talking to the RCMP.
So now they're slowly kind of getting their way on the highway.
The plan is, or the idea is that they're allowed to walk against traffic and they're also allowed to cross the highway now because there are two sides of protesters on the station on both sides of the highway.
Now they're allowed to walk as long as there isn't any traffic because the nearest overpass is pretty far.
I think you have to be within a certain distance.
So they found their way around it.
Oh, I love that.
Now, yeah, I don't want anybody run over on the highway.
So I understand if there's traffic safety reasons for the cops to show up, but to have shown up with their riot control gear the other day was really something else when people are just basically having a barbecue.
Exactly.
And like I told some others, it was such an overreaction because when the SWAT team came in, I felt the energy of the whole place and it just became very dark and rough.
And when those officers left, the people just became so much even more peaceful because they didn't have that force to fight with anymore.
So the cops being there made it worse.
Well, and it's so unnecessary.
I mean, I think the relationship between so many people and so many communities and the police was so severely damaged during COVID.
They wouldn't come if your car was stolen or if your machine shop was broken into and your quads were taken.
They wouldn't come then.
But if you had Christmas, they would show up and arrest you.
Or if you had a protest, they would show up and arrest you.
And I think things had been starting to heal themselves this last little bit.
And then this happens.
And you're like, come on, you guys.
So what's the reaction of the protesters to the police?
Are they kind of like, you guys are just doing your job?
We'll behave.
You guys behave.
Or what's the attitude down there?
So when the whole SWAT team did come in on day two, it was very intense.
The protesters were not happy with it at all.
I bet, no, but there are two liaison officers that have been coming around and the protesters have been working with them very well, actually.
They speak highly of them.
So I think the communication there has been very positive because obviously the protesters, they do not want to cause any real destructions.
For example, on the first day when they did block the lane, there was an ambulance emergency vehicle that had to get through and they very, very quickly just pulled all their cones back, got off the highway and made way for this vehicle to come through.
So they're not there to cause any real problems.
Well, that's good.
Like I'm happy to hear that neither side is confrontational with the other despite showing up with riot control cops and riot control devices.
A riot did not break out, but it's going to be frightening for peaceful protesters because the memory of what happened in Ottawa is fresh, right?
Like we all know how the feds overreact to peaceful protesters.
Now that really didn't happen in Alberta, thank goodness, but it has happened and it is, it's scary for people.
Yeah, definitely.
And I know some of the protesters there did go to Coots as well.
So they're not new in the game.
They know how to behave, I guess.
So you were there.
You've been there off and on quite a bit, really, since it began.
Tell me about the people.
Why are they there?
I'm sure you're hearing specific stories that are beyond just like, you know, the carbon tax is costing us too much money.
Well, it's been costing us too much money here in Alberta since 2015.
But what are the personal stories bringing these people out to the streets?
So the main one is people are struggling.
They're really struggling to make ends meet.
There was one woman I spoke to, and she said that she has lost 15 pounds just since January because she cannot afford food.
There are tons of business owners that are also just unable to keep their businesses going.
And there are also just people who are overall fed up with the government and who just want them gone going back from COVID.
There's just so many different stories and everybody together collectively just want the federal government gone because from all angles, all sides, they have been causing the society problems and they're desperate.
And some of these people, they've got nothing more to lose.
So that's why they're still there and they're not planning on going anywhere.
Yeah, I mean, that's why I said it feels like the convoy's back together because that was really what was going on during the convoy.
They said, we're going to Ottawa.
What else can we do?
The government won't listen to us.
We're going to lose our business.
We're going to lose our house.
We can't travel.
We can't see our friends and family.
What else have we got to lose?
And I heard that when I was in Lloydminster covering the carbon tax protests out on the highway there at the exact same time, there were a lot of people who said, like, look, I've got nothing left.
The government is not just picking my pocket, but it's controlling every aspect of my life.
And the government is so corrupt and facing no consequences for anything.
So they can arrest me, I guess.
They can take my bank account, but you can't get blood from a stone.
Exactly.
And there are tons of people who have that exact same mindset.
They're willing to lose everything because they, like I said, they've got nothing left.
The government has driven them to such a point where it's all or nothing.
Now, you were there catching some very Albertan sights and sounds.
You know, it's not, I think in the other provinces, we see people out with their signs and their flags, but now in Alberta, we bring our trucks, our trailers, our tractors, and our livestock.
Tell us about some of that.
So there are actually three horses on site.
They've been there pretty much since day one, and the people are loving it.
Tons and tons of animals.
And just, it's been super, super family friendly.
And there are, actually, there's one specific big truck, and they got it wrapped to say axe attack.
So that's kind of been the highlight of the entire place.
There's also a crane that says axe the tax.
So the people sure brought in the big heavy stuff.
You know, it's funny.
I don't know if you're familiar with Bill 6, but Bill 6 was this attempt by Rachel Notley and the NDP to put bankers hours and union rules on your family farm.
Like you couldn't have your kids working on the farm, which I think my kids probably would have enjoyed, but I was like, no, I'll break the law.
You're throwing hay bales.
And, you know, like specific WCB rules, like you couldn't put up a ladder without having it secured to something like fall arrest.
Like I'm going to put a harness on my kid before I boss her up a ladder.
Come on.
And there was a turkey that came to all protests and it had like killed Bill 6 and everybody went.
We had a protest turkey.
It was the funnest thing.
And I'm so glad to hear that we're carrying on with that.
And one of the strongest visuals, I think, from Coots were the images of the horseback riders with, you know, the flags behind them.
It was so Albertan.
And it makes me so happy to see heavy equipment because we are a place of heavy industry and the horses out on the streets.
Are people honking as they go by?
Are they supporting these people?
Anytime.
I'd say between 80 and 90% of people are honking.
It's actually, I come home and I know they were joking about it or not joking about it, but talking about it on the CBC before of phantom honking, but I actually experienced it myself.
I can see I can hear honking when I come home.
So there's tons of support.
Yeah, it was like that during the original convoy in Edmonton.
You would like you get in the car afterwards and you would try to listen to the radio, but it would feel like it just honks.
I mean, it's not enough to invoke the Emergencies Act on Canada.
But now, have you been paying attention to what the politicians are saying about what's happening west of Calgary, or are they saying anything at all?
I haven't noticed one thing, I'm being honest.
And I'm sorry now thinking about it, I'm actually a little bit surprised.
I think the protesters being on the side of the highway and not blocking a lane isn't causing enough for a politician to say anything.
But that being said, who knows how long they're going to be there and what plans they've got.
So what I know is that these protesters, like I said, they're not going to give up.
So if they're not getting a response, they might change their tactics.
Yeah, I think I saw one thing from Danielle Smith just basically telling everybody to behave, and it sounds like they are on both sides.
I have a question first about the protests that are still going on on Highway 1.
According to Cochrane RCMP, disruptions are expected to continue today.
Protests Shaping Saskatchewan's Future00:05:42
Is the province at all considering using the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act?
And is there any direction being given to the protesters to move where they don't constrict some of these economic corridors?
Well, look, let me give that direction.
I don't support it when Extinction Rebellion glues themselves to the street and stops traffic.
And I don't support anyone stopping traffic as well.
You can protest, do it at the side of the road.
Don't interfere with the movement of goods.
Don't interfere with the movement of your neighbors.
It's the reason why we have the Critical Infrastructure Act.
And I would just ask people to be compliant with the law.
So that's good, but I think that that's really it.
It's not being, we got to get tow trucks out there, as was Jason Kenney's plan.
We have to, you know, we have to go through the protest encampment and start kicking in doors, as was Justin Trudeau's plan in Ottawa, kicking in camper doors and busting windows.
We haven't seen anything like that.
And I think that has really been a testament to the change in government here in Alberta.
I definitely agree with you on that.
So what's next for these people?
You said they're in it for the long haul.
I hope so because I'm headed down there this week to check it out for myself.
You know, I love a good protest.
So what's next for them?
What are they doing?
Are they really setting up shop there?
So I don't know their full plans, but they probably shouldn't announce it, to be honest.
Yes, exactly.
Exactly.
And they got to be careful because the RCMP are watching like hawks.
They've got a drone flying all the time.
And they're just trying to be very, very careful.
But I do know that the point is to get a response.
The point is to get somewhere.
So right now, obviously, them being on the side of the highway isn't doing too, too much other than the honking, people honking and showing their support driving by.
So yeah, I think things might start changing in the next few days.
I know on Saturday they're planning for a big day, big protest, because they're supposed to be sort of, they're still unsure about a rally happening in Calgary.
They might do a bit of a convoy, but that's unconfirmed information.
Okay.
I want to ask you, because I addressed this on last week's show, but I just want to ask your opinion because you are a frequent protest attender.
I think that's kind of how you came into the rebel universe and then you started covering them journalistically.
There are people who say, why protest?
Protests do nothing.
The politicians don't listen to you anyway.
How would you address that criticism?
I would have to disagree because if protests didn't cause anything, then what happened in Coots wouldn't have changed the trajectory of Canada and of Alberta specifically because we did see a result.
Kenny did give in to a certain degree.
So I think protests do make a difference, very much so.
And it's unfortunate when I hear people say, you know, protests aren't going to do anything.
It's a waste of time.
But if everybody actually put in the effort, if everybody actually showed up, things would change.
So the apathy needs to stop, in my opinion.
You know, that's a great point.
That the protest at Coots not only changed the trajectory of Alberta, but in changing the trajectory of Alberta, we're changing the trajectory of the country.
Because look at the successes of Danielle Smith, striking down the new pipelines ban, striking down the plastics ban.
So there are, and, you know, the provincial autonomy that we're seeing here in Alberta, fighting with the feds on just about every issue.
And it's empowering the other provinces to do the same.
You know, like we stand up to the gun ban and then UConn's like, yep, us too.
And Saskatchewan says, Hey, sign us up.
So it has this fun knock-on effect that I think started kind of at Coots because that really showed Jason Kenny's weakness.
He went from, oh, we're removing the restrictions exemption program at the end of the month.
And then, like eight hours later, he's like, oh, actually, it's going to be at the end of the week.
And then it was like, okay, at midnight tonight, it's gone.
And it was like directly had to do with the border obstruction happening at Coots.
And then we saw in Saskatchewan as the convoy was rolling west to east and rolled through Alberta and got to the Saskatchewan border.
And Scott Moe was like, okay, the vaccine passport's gone.
Don't convoy me, bro.
So the protests do change something.
And you are right.
If more people stand up, things change faster.
And it's hard to ignore a bunch of people.
If all the restaurants had agreed not to close instead of just a handful, including Chris Scott at the whistle stop, the restrictions on businesses would have ended a lot quicker with a lot less carnage in the private business aspect of our economy.
So I think you are right.
Protests do work.
They do change something.
And if more people got involved instead of exhibiting just that Winnie the Pooh Eeyore level of apathy, I think Canada would be in a better place.
Courage is contagious and united on compliance is what makes things change.
Right.
Angelica, you are headed back out to the protest Saturday.
Why Courage Matters00:02:56
Yes.
I'm headed out there today and then I might check in over the next few days.
But then Saturday, I'll definitely be back for the whole day because we are expecting a potential convoy that day.
Very exciting.
And I'll be out there Thursday.
We are recording this on Tuesday.
It'll air on Wednesday.
So if people are trying to pay attention to like when we're saying today, tomorrow, whatever, today is Tuesday.
Angelique, thanks so much for the hard work that you do here at Rebel News.
And also, I want to thank you for your ability to jump outside of your job description and do things that we need you to do, not only as a company, but because it is important for Canadians and Albertans to get the other side of this story.
So thanks for your that's not my job, not having that it's not my job attitude.
I really appreciate that.
And I think that's one of the things that makes our company so great is that we all just pitch in when needed, whereas needed.
And you've really been a great example of that for us.
Thank you so much, Sheila.
Yeah, I think the passion that all of us have is what drives us to just do the best job that we can.
Great.
Thanks, Angelica.
Best of luck out there.
I can't wait to see what you do next.
Thank you, Sheila.
have a good day as always through the portion of the show that's yours It's where I invite your viewer feedback.
You can send me your viewer feedback in a few different ways.
You can send it to Sheila at rebelnews.com.
Put gun show letters in the subject line so I know why you're emailing me, or maybe you're watching the free version of the show over on YouTube or on Rumble, and you're sitting through a couple of ads, which I appreciate.
Leave your comments there.
Sometimes I go looking for what you're saying over there.
But the point of this exercise is that without you, there is no Rebel News.
So why wouldn't I let you have your say about the work that we do here at Rebel News?
I actually care about what you think about the work that we do here at Rebel News.
It's the reason we leave the comment section open.
It's the reason I give out my email address.
And it's the reason we are fiercely independent because we don't care what Justin Trudeau thinks.
We leave that to the rest of the media to worry about what their sugar daddy thinks about their work.
We only care about you guys.
Because as I said, without you, there's no Rebel News.
If you don't like us, we cease to exist.
That's the free market.
So you send me your emails from time to time.
And that's exactly where today's your feedback comes from.
Sometimes it's from YouTube.
Sometimes it's from Rumble.
This is from the email inbox.
And it is from Mark, who writes, I love Rebel News for being honest and informative about the events happening daily with this current train wreck, liberal government that is dismantling our beautiful country of Canada.
Documents Dumped After Testimonies00:04:11
It's worse than you think.
I've been sitting through the Foreign Interference Commission for the last week and a half.
It's probably why I look so tired right now because my day starts on Eastern time and finishes on Western time.
So somehow these people are wringing an extra two hours of work out of me every single day.
And just the amount of lies that the government has told us about what they knew about foreign interference and when they knew it.
It's all coming out in the wash right now.
You can't hide these documents.
Even though they're trying, that's another thing that's happening in the Foreign Interference Commission is the government is dumping documents at 1 a.m. the night before the witnesses are set to testify.
And in some instances, they're dumping documents about the witnesses after the witnesses have testified.
They did this during the Public Order Emergency Commission all the time, trying to kneecap the lawyers from the other side.
They're doing it again.
And it's just a real mess.
And the worst part of it all is the government has infinite resources to produce these documents.
They've known for months that they've had to produce these documents.
Then they're just doing it at the last minute.
They have an infinite number of bureaucrats to go around rounding up these documents.
And each ministry has their own access to information department, bureaucrats who deal specifically with document management.
And yet, they're turning over these documents in the middle of the night before 9 a.m. testimony.
Give me a break.
Anyways, so the corruption in this country is worse than we have any sort of remote grasp on.
And I think we won't even understand the depths of it until Justin Trudeau is unelected and living on a billionaire's island somewhere as a professional cabana boy.
And I think we'll probably have two good years of inquiries and commissions after that, wherein I think some people will probably go to jail, but definitely not a future cabana boy, Justin Trudeau.
Anyway, let's keep going.
My email is regarding your April Fools podcast in which you discuss the pay raises the MPs and Mr. Trudeau gave themselves on the same day they raised taxes on the rest of us.
Yes, they gave themselves an $8,500 a year raise for doing less work than ever.
I mean, these are not performance raises, right?
On the day that the carbon tax jumped from $65 a ton up to $80,000.
So you know where your carbon tax money went, literally right into the pockets of an MP.
Please forgive me if I have the number of MPs wrong, but a quick search told me there are 650.
Multiply that by the lowest yearly increase of $8,500 for a grand total of $5,525,000 a year, and that's slowballing it.
Democracy is a wonderful thing, but apparently it comes at a high cost.
We keep slaving away to pay for this extravagant lifestyle.
Shame on all of us.
Keep up the great work and let liberty and freedom reign, Mark, in Nova Scotia.
Wow.
I don't get a lot of emails from the East Coast, but I am a fan of Nova Scotia.
I just want to correct you there.
We have 338 MPs in this country, not 650.
Although it feels like 650 because they're so expensive and generally useless.
There could be a million MPs and we still wouldn't get very much done.
We still wouldn't get any bang for our buck, now would we?
But yeah, just a slap in the face at Canadians.
You know, I know some Conservative MPs are foregoing their raise and donating it to stand in solidarity with Canadians who are just getting slapped with taxes upon taxes.
But you know the Liberals aren't whatsoever.
Well, everybody, that's the show for tonight.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
I'll see everybody back here in the same time, in the same place next week.