Before Twitter erupts with accusations that I support illegal acts and community-crippling trucker protests, let me state unequivocally that I don’t. Nor do I, as a rule, believe that we should change public policy or legislation to meet the demands of law-breakers.

I am triple vaccinated and never questioned the need for mandatory vaccinations. Personally, I’d get dozens of shots to protect myself and my family/friends from being ill or dying from a virus. But that’s me. I respect the contradictory views of others.

A number of first responders are opposed to vaccine mandates – which I don’t support (See my OpEd: “Ontario’s Police Officers Should Be Vaccinated"). Similarly, a number of nurses and other hospital personnel are refusing to be vaccinated. Some Canadian Forces personnel are digging their heels in and risking dismissal. Personally, I do not agree with them either. They are all public servants that were hired to protect the public.

In the early days of COVID, truckers were allowed to cross the Canada/U.S. border as they hauled goods between countries without so much of producing a negative COVID test. They only had to show their passports to prove citizenship. That was through the worst of COVID variants. Restaurants, bars, gyms and a host of other establishments were in full lockdown. The rules around accessing hospitals and nursing homes were extremely challenging. In fact, it broke my heart that we were not able to visit our father when he died in a nursing home in 2020. But these rules were established for the betterment of the health of Canadians in very uncertain times.

Then vaccines were developed and delivered, slowly making their way into the arms of Canadians – including truckers. Cross-border rules got tighter and tighter for travellers crossing land borders, but not truckers. Even when the border was totally locked down, truckers still had the unfettered ability to cross. I thought that was crazy, but I also appreciated the need to meet supply chain demands.

Then in mid-January 2022, when the Omicron variant seemed to be flattening and provinces were loosening many COVID restrictions, provincial and federal rules were tightened, forcing truckers to have proof of vaccination in order to return from south of the border, and the U.S. established the same for those entering that country. At that point, almost 90 per cent of truckers had been vaccinated. So, in essence, there was a diminishing health risk as restaurants were opening to a larger degree. Truckers were largely vaccinated, but apparently, it was time to clamp down on them. It seemed oddly contradictory, but I’m neither a lawyer or a public health official. As the pro-vax guy that I am, I really didn’t care.

Fast forward to late January, and the truck convoy for “Freedom” began its cross-Canada trek to Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates. Even though the provinces own part of the mandate authority, the protest was focused on the nation’s capital. Highways were clogged and eventually the downtown core of Ottawa came to a standstill and was then plagued with blaring air horns 24/7. A host of other ridiculous and disturbing acts occurred and still do by people at least “associated” with the convoy. It’s a quandary of epic proportions, to say the least, and well past the realm of a “peaceful and lawful” protest. A similar blockade was also established on the international border in an isolated area near Coutts, Alberta. This weekend protests are occurring in a number of Canadian jurisdictions. None of it should have occurred and none of it should continue – plain and simple. This veiled attempt at “Freedom” has disrupted the lives of already stressed out Canadians that were all hoping a relatively manageable level of COVID was drawing near.

In the middle of this mess, a few provinces are easing a number of COVID restrictions in an attempt to manage Omicron more like how we currently address the flu. A number of countries around the world are taking similar action, some even returning to pre-COVID practices.

Is all of Canada heading that way soon? Protests aside, is it the right thing to do? I hope so, but who knows. The protestors don’t know either because they have yet to speak with provincial or federal health authorities. Instead, police are responsible to negotiate through this tense situation and then wear the results. The premiers and the prime minister all have a pile of officials beneath them that could at least protestors out and either explain where mandate rules are going, what they can or cannot do in terms of policy and why, and their inability to change any rules on the U.S. side.

If their position is that they will not have any dialogue while protests are ongoing, fine, say that and at least agree to have ongoing and structured dialogue between appropriate federal and provincial authorities and trucker representatives when the protests end.

The police will have to enact an “arrest and tow” solution soon. In fact, it’s probably a few days too late in both the Coutts and Ottawa scenarios, but it has to happen. It will be a large show of force. It will be resource-intensive and costly. People will be hurt without question. Lawsuits and investigations will result, and sympathetic protests will continue to emerge. It will be a drawn out and painful exercise but has to happen if the blockades don’t end immediately. That’s the only solution remaining if the protestors don’t get their way.

I fear that after all the smoke settles, Canada and the provinces will be afraid to remove additional mandates in the near term out of fear that the electorate will think that they “caved in to criminals.” It would be sad in my view IF making the changes is the truly right thing to do for Canada as a whole now, if governments hold off from making appropriate policy changes immediately for no other reason than the illegal protests and instead wait until the smell of tear gas dissipates from the air.

If it is the proper time for mandate changes, they should do it now and weather the political fallout later. If it truly isn’t the right time, then damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

As I say in my leadership lectures and writings: “How can it ever be wrong to do the right thing?”

Chris Lewis served as Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police from 2010 until he retired in 2014. He can be seen regularly on CTV and CP24 giving his opinion as a public safety analyst.