Alberta border blockade dismantled after more than two weeks

Trucks and other vehicles with horns blaring have rolled out of a southern Alberta town, ending a blockade that brought the Canada-U.S. border crossing to a standstill for more than two weeks.

Protesters had been restricting access to the main Alberta border crossing in Coutts since Jan. 29 to rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and broader public health restrictions.

Commercial and personal vehicles left the area Tuesday, one day after RCMP arrested 13 people and seized a cache of firearms and ammunition.

READ MORE:

• Alberta premier ‘pleased’ Coutts border protesters plan to leave area

• Alberta union seeks to challenge Bill 1 amid Coutts blockade backlash

Mounties said an early morning raid on Monday uncovered 13 long guns, handguns, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and body armour. Two additional weapons were seized later that day.

RCMP also said a semi truck and farm tractor attempted to ram a police cruiser on Sunday.

Premier Jason Kenney said Monday the potential for escalating violence was disturbing and should serve as a wake-up call to protesters to go home immediately.

The Coutts blockade was one of several demonstrations in Canadian cities and border points that have stalled trade, stranded travellers and disrupted lives of area residents, particularly in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2022.