49 Comments

Thank you for doing this important work, Trish. I've been reading Paul Wells' book, 'An Emergency in Ottawa.' I'm half-way through, and reading it slowly so I can really take in and abosorb the amount of interviewing, research, and analysis that Paul has combined so clearly and thoughtfully into a slim and very accessible book. He provides insight into the overall disorganization of the various levels of law enforcement, the Federal Government and the issue of class that was being played out between the city of Ottawa and Western Canadian Truckers. I highly recommend it.

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Remember - MICHAEL SABIA - the public servant that told banks to freeze bank accounts of citizens that had not committed or been charged with anything. MICHAEL SABIA. Never forget. He is part of the 'OTTAWA PROBLEM'

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If “hold the line” is key to the mischief charges then “not an inch” works the same way for the defence.

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I made the mistake of going on twitter in search of trail updates (while I impatiently waited for yours, Trish). Yikes. It still takes my breath away watching people spew all the talking points that the media beaming into people’s living rooms.

Tamara and Chris are every day people. They are... me. And they were advocating for many Canadians. And they changed the course of events GLOBALLY. Not via attempted “sedition”, but by bravely asking to be heard and making the world aware that many people did not agree with the actions of our public servants.

Yes Trish, both dudes have their own set of “facts” and talking points, to be sure. But what I find the most challenging is that each human has a different vision for society. Different degrees of ambition. Different comfortability with being told how to live. Different foundational experiences with authority. Different beliefs around what makes a person “good”. And the list goes on.

I find myself saying “if they could only see behind the curtain!”... but I’ve realized that, many people won’t be shaken by the view.

It’s a doozy.

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Sep 8, 2023Edited
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Me too! 😅

I think it’s even deeper then this issue- which is VERY near and dear to some of us who had our lives turned upside down (even more than everyone else did because we were banned from travel and society).

There are deep foundational issues. What IS freedom?

The ability to create wealth, work hard, travel, learn, expand, fail, have good luck or bad luck, and move at your own pace while creating your own goals and striving for your own desires… Unencumbered.

Or

The ability to not worry about how you will put a roof over your head or food in your mouth. The ability to work a little bit, at a job you may or may not be excited about or attached to, but still have the “Freedom“ to relax your days away and live “comfortably“. Your basic needs are taken care of, so no need to hustle or worry.

Personally, I don’t resonate with the second option, or think that it’s even a real-life possibility. I think it only exists on paper. However, some people believe that freedom means not having to work/hustle/earn/strive. I have to dig really deep to understand this perspective. It really doesn’t resonate with me. But I’ve known people who do really resonate with it.

Furthermore, social justice is another big one. Even the term social justice makes me scratch my head. But, I’ve lived on both sides of the fence and looked through both lenses on this issue. I’m pretty firmly rooted in some form of libertarianism at this point in my life.

The government does not belong in my bedroom, body, or bank account. Period.

I was talking to a drag queen the other day. We had a very calm and respectful discussion that was also very heated because these issues are dear to both of us. He was telling me that he believed everybody should be taxed around 80% because services like the food bank, drug and alcohol recovery centres and homeless shelters are very important in society and need to be supported by every citizen. He did not grow up in an awesome circumstance, and he had to make use of these services.

Our experiences shape our desires. Our experiences shape our hopes and dreams. Our experiences help form our judgements of others. Our experiences help us decide. What is “right” and what is “wrong”.

I did not grow up under the same set of circumstances as him, and have been an entrepreneur for many many years. He has spent years working odd jobs and spending time in and out of rehab. What is important to him is very different than what is important to me.

I don’t have a lot of money, but I have more money than him. I’ve worked very hard for it. But he can’t know that or feel that the way I know that and feel that. I know that if he was in my shoes, he would not want to be taxed at 80%. I did not grow up with an alcoholic, single mother. I did not grow up, wondering where my next meal would come from. I did not move through my teens, 20s or 30s with an alcohol and cocaine addiction. I will never know what that feels like.

I’m not sure how people will find common ground when we are not willing to put ourselves in the other guys shoes. I am willing to put myself in his shoes and look out of his glasses. However, I still don’t want to pay 80% taxes. He can put himself in my shoes and note that he might not want to be taxed at 80% if he was a hustling entrepreneur… But that doesn’t change the fact that he thinks the world will be a better place with many government services.

We are in very interesting times. ♥️🤷‍♀️

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Ottawa police officer "Russell Lucas was in charge of the plan to deal with the convoy. He testified that they believed only five convoys were on the way to the city and they ended up with thirteen."

Wow. I haven't heard that number before. It's worth keeping in mind that, because police closed the bridges with Quebec, many trucks were stranded in la belle province. They never made it into Ottawa, and were never tallied as part of the protest. It's my understanding that many of the big rigs that got stranded on the Sir John A Macdonald Parkway (from western Canada) also departed quickly and therefore may not have been counted.

Bottom line: this protest was HUGE.

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It was huge, the protestors were in the right, and they WON. For that, the bubble-dwellers will never forgive them.

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The philosophy of collectivism upholds the existence of a mystic (and unperceivable) social organism, while denying the reality of perceived individuals—a view which implies that man’s senses are not a valid instrument for perceiving reality. Collectivism maintains that an elite endowed with special mystic insight should rule men—which implies the existence of an elite source of knowledge, a fund of revelations inaccessible to logic and transcending the mind. Collectivism denies that men should deal with one another by voluntary means, settling their disputes by a process of rational persuasion; it declares that men should live under the reign of physical force (as wielded by the dictator of the omnipotent state)—a position which jettisons reason as the guide and arbiter of human relationships.

From every aspect, the theory of collectivism points to the same conclusion: collectivism and the advocacy of reason are philosophically antithetical; it is one or the other.

- Leonard Peikoff, “Nazism vs. Reason,”

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Obiden, the great collectivists. Great, only because they duped more folk than our idiot Trudeau, that fake PM WEFfer cum laude.

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The entire fail of government is on full display here. At Trudeau’s feet lies the responsibility for failing to do a job he is paid By Us to do.

But no, the little conniving pipsqueak false PM, Weffer cum laude chooses to wait for his enemies, the truthseekers daring to challenge him, to do something heinous. To justify brutality. And there was a hell of a lot of it.

Turdo’s face is glued to every rib-breaking knee and jackboot. And he will stand with his evil commie cronies and piss his pants facing judgment.

I want my country back. And i shall have it. And so will you.

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Always read and love your comments, wherever I find them Stevanovitch.

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Thank you very much!🇨🇦❤️

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My pleasure.

I see you. 🇨🇦💖

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Thank you Trish. I've read that there is some rare legal tactic where what Chris has said or done will reflect on Tamara, and vs. versa. I didn't understand and wonder if you know about this and could elaborate on this. Appreciate you being on site and open to the variety of views out there.

I am one who watched the convoy come under the foggy overpass in BC, saw the people and the flags, and just felt Joy. Nothing political just a joyous lift after an isolating social time.

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This idea is to paint a kind of conspiracy so whatever sticks to Chris, capturs Tamara also. I think.

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We participated in a "slow roll" in Northern Alberta - for 30 miles there were people standing and parked at EVERY intersection - one every mile. It was a tear jerker.

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That Freedom Convoy, and the alt media and independent citizen journalists covering it, got me out of my pyjamas and my deep depression, and onto the streets of my town, carrying signage.

I was en route to Ottawa when Turdeau brought the jackboots in, and brought the crushing hammer down.

Were it NOT for that grassroots movement, I may not have made it out of that plandemonium.

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Wrong about the water....word is we can bring our own. Yippee. Also --I spent another morning speaking to the woman mentioned above and she is smart and interesting. We have to get past our differences.

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Well done.

Communication, and listening, is key.

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What I wonder is if the trial brings out evidence that there was no seditious plot by Tamara and Chris will the woman change her mind?

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Sedition?? That word applies here as much as the J6 tour of the US capitol.

Complete with government trolls etc etc.

Man, you had to be there! A party with a message, is what it was.

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Thank you for doing this.

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A formerly close childhood friend lives in Chelsea, not Ottawa, and was not even personally impacted by the protest, but full-on believes the masks and lockdowns worked and vaccines were a gift from God and truckers are far-right-wing Nazi skinheads bent on destroying Ottawa and all of Canada.

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My sister, who lives in a town in the Okanagan Valley, does not own a computer, never has, nor a cell phone. All her news is derived from the Bobble Heads who read teleprompters on the boob tube.

She spends her days on the land-line, regurgurgitating the news to my nearly 91 year old mother, who at this point only watches TV for the pictures, as she is very deaf but hearing aids are for "ol peepo".

Luckily, my sister EXPLAINS the news to her. By regurgitating, headline by headline, what the moving pictures actually show mum.

Opinions inserted.

My sister and I do not communicate, other than when there's a sudden and unexpected death in the family, or a 90th birthday celebration.

During one of these infrequent events over the past 3.5 years, my sister vehemently spat, loudly, to all who were gathered around the table, and apropos of nothing:

"I hate truckers!"

Me: Really? Why is that?

"Because they park on the side of my road and run their trucks!"

Me: Those truckers are probably resting, and need to run it to either stay cool or stay warm.

Me: Those truckers are delivering your toilet paper and hand sanitizer and other essential goods to the Save On and IGA snd Shoppers across the street.

Me: Those truckers are the salt of the earth, in my opinion, and in my personal experience.

No comment from my diesel fume poisoned bitter brain addled racist sister. Whose philandering ex-husband was/is the very definition of a racist, and taught her well.

The Dylan song "Idiot Wind" comes to mind.

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Wow. Sadly, I can relate.

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Sad, that you can relate.

#HoldTheLine

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Sep 8, 2023
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No. Believes everything CBC and Public Health say and has no interest in scientific analysis that conflicts with those firm beliefs. Shut me down when I tried to educate her. Still wearing a mask in public.

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Trish, I thought the Judge stated that this was not the convoy on trial? So my question is why are they going through the time the Convoy was there and not just trying the charges that were placed against Tamara and Chris? I mean is the prosecution not wasting time to which the judge could easily refer to the commission information instead of rehashing the “convoy’s occupation” of Ottawa and listening to the Citizen’s of Ottawa whine about micro aggressions. What an absolute farce. Language matters after all, as do words and facts. I am afraid they are pushing the same tyrannical,corrupt, words, and actions, that they have all along. It’s just another biased bs trial and not about the charges against Tamara and Chris at all.

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"I thought the Judge stated that this was not the convoy on trial?"

👍

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"Both sides with their own set of facts" - nope, one side is with facts, and the other is just telling fake news narrative. There's only one Truth, and no amount of disinformation and PSYOPS from government will change that.

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Was referring to what is in their heads...not mine. I agree facts are not up for debate at this point.

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The "other side" has been propogandised so strongly they don't know what they believe isn't truth. I think I understand what Trish is trying to say here.

If only the media who reported fake stories theb quietly retract them should be held accountable for this societal mess.

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Your observation of Ottawa as a bubble is spot-on, in my estimation. One of my adult children has lived there for many years, so I've had opportunities to observe the city and it inhabitants, many removed is seems from the day-to-day of ordinary Canadians.

The division that Trudeau et al fomented from the beginning of the 'pandemic' worked all too well, especially there but everywhere.

Look forward to more of your trial commentary.

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Standing in the dark, watching Canadians kick a hackeysack to keep toes from freezing, i was compelled to ask a local fellow “what’s with these masked, silent, briefcase-carrying, fast-shuffling, head-down people heading from the hill to a subway?”

The response:” you gotta understand, man... its just a government town... you either follow along brainlessly, or get out.”

The Bubble of Insanity. Running Canada into the depths of communism. As if to save us.

Its the Bubble we need salvation from.

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'This city is a bubble.' I lived in Ottawa for 3 years in the late 80's and felt that way. Getting news of anything happening outside the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa area was nearly impossible. The rest of Canada simply doesn't exist for them.

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...that's why WEXIT has made more and more sense since 2015. IF Quebec is special, Alberta certainly is - WE fund their shit! WEXIT. WEXIT. WEXIT.

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I agree in principle but don't think Alberta will ever make that move. BC is much like Ottawa politically and won't join. Manitoba and Saskatchewan aren't likely to either. For context, I've lived in Manitoba, my parents grew up in Saskatchewan and I have lots of extended family there. I currently live in Vancouver and it's at least as much of a bubble as Ottawa.

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I believe that Saskatchewan would partner with Alberta. If we bind together we are stronger.

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I used to think Saskatchewan would join because, of all the west, they used to be more independent thinkers overall. From conversations with family there, I don't think that's necessarily true anymore especially for urban voters. I hope I'm wrong. There are some signs of a pushback against Ottawa.

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Sep 8, 2023
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It truly is. If Canadians are looking outside the CBC/CTV mainstream media they might wake up. I haven't seen much sign of that yet, though. I haven't had TV in over a decade and pay for news from places like Epoch and Substack, etc so my information is quite different from what most are seeing. Once you've gone down those rabbit holes, there's no going back.

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...typical canuck attitude, that's why Albertans are known as do'ers...the sheeple in the rest of the country are pathetic.

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They exist in Alberta, too. Edmonton and Calgary are prime examples. I've lived in both those cities as well as a few small towns in Alberta. I'd say most Canadians, Albertans included, aren't willing to stand up for our rights. It's why we're watching this trial now. Had most people stood up against government overreach decades ago, this wouldn't be happening. There's always hope for change but it's a dim hope.

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Sep 8, 2023
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Rural Saskatchewan maybe but the votes in the cities tend to override them. As much as I'm enjoying the weather and the beauty here, I'm certainly not at home politically. Very leftist for this small c conservative.

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Sep 8, 2023
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Yes, Vancouver. The last few years have been exceptionally isolating. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, though. I have a sense that it was better to face this and stand firm because it's only going to get more difficult for those who are just seeing it now.

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