Responding to reports that truckers’ convoy protests will grow in Surrey this weekend, Surrey Board of Trade president and CEO Anita Huberman has issued a statement to all Surrey businesses.
Terming the blockading of areas of the city “an unacceptable sabotage of the economy,” and noting that Surrey is a border city, Huberman asked businesses in potentially affected areas to keep up to date on the situation that may progress over the weekend.
“The impact of these blockades is choking already impacted supply chains, businesses and jobs,” she said.
“To be clear, everyone has a right to peacefully protest, but these types of demonstrations are impacting businesses and livelihoods.”
Huberman urged businesses in “affected areas” to “ensure that you are taking precautions to safeguard the exterior of your business and your staff.”
Businesses close to the Pacific Highway border crossing, including the Creative Kids Learning Centre, objected this week to the occupation of their parking lot by anti-vaccine mandate protesters, noting disruption to their operations caused by honking of horns, screaming and yelling of slogans and loud music.
Huberman added that SBOT has signed on to an open letter to the federal government that was composed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
The letter asks that the Prime Minister, premiers, opposition party leaders, and mayors deliver a “strong and unified commitment” that the rule of law will be upheld, and urgently enact measures to protect critical infrastructure so that further closures do not take place elsewhere in the country.
The letter also calls on the federal government to “seek immediate injunctive measures through the courts to assert a clear message that lawlessness will not be tolerated,” and ensure law enforcement agencies have “all the necessary political support and appropriate tools needed to restore public order and remove any physical blockades that are not dismantled voluntarily.”
editorial@peacearchnews.com
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