Manitoba RCMP are preparing for possible demonstrations to take place near Manitoba’s provincial borders this week, with protesters planning to rally against the carbon tax.
An RCMP spokesperson confirmed the police force is aware of protests slated to begin Monday along the Trans-Canada Highway.
The protests are expected to happen in the West Hawk Lake area near the Ontario border and near Kirkella, close to the Saskatchewan border. They will coincide with the federal government’s scheduled tax hikes, as the price on carbon jumps to 17 cents per litre of gasoline, 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas and 21 cents per litre of diesel fuel.
“This is a peaceful event aimed at uniting Canadians for a common cause and we will be holding the line indefinitely until our mission objective is achieved,” Nationwide Protest Against Carbon Tax, the group organizing the demonstrations, said in a statement.
The group is calling for “the immediate removal of the carbon tax, without replacement by any other form of taxation.”
According to the organizer’s website, the Manitoba protests are slated to begin at 8 a.m. Similar demonstrations will take place simultaneously at more than a dozen locations across the country, it says.
The website includes a “code of conduct” for participants, urging them to refrain from violence and vandalism, dress appropriately for the weather and behave respectfully.
It advises protesters to “maintain at least one center lane open for traffic,” during the demonstration.
The website also features an “open letter to our police officers,” asking law enforcement members to stand in solidarity with protesters.
“We understand the position you are in and hold the utmost respect for the laws that govern our society and for those of you who enforce them. However, we believe that true justice… finds its foundation in the spirit of community, compassion and shared human values,” the letter reads.
“Standing with us doesn’t mean abandoning your duties; rather, it symbolizes a powerful alliance between the people and those sworn to protect them.”
In a notice to residents, officials from the Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth said RCMP may detour eastbound and westbound traffic into municipal roads surrounding the protest site.
“We are unsure of the exact routes, these will be determined by the RCMP once the location of the protest is available,” the notice said, adding possible roads might include Road 66N west of Elkhorn, Road 69N west of PR542 and Road 174W south of the Trans-Canada Highway.
A recent Leger poll, commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, found 83 per cent of Manitobans either strongly support (57 per cent) or somewhat support (26 per cent) Manitoba joining seven provinces that have been actively lobbying against the increase.
The RCMP said it will provide additional information surrounding the protests to the public “as required.”
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’ city desk. Since joining the paper in 2022, he has found himself driving through blizzards, documenting protests and scouring the undersides of bridges for potential stories.