Convoy, Courage & Canada: A Conversation with Donna Laframboise

As the fifth anniversary of the 2022 Freedom Convoy approaches, have we heard the whole story?

In the winter of 2022, trucks began rolling toward Ottawa from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and communities across Canada. People gathered on highway overpasses and roadsides to cheer them on, and within days the Freedom Convoy had become international news.

Nearly five years later, what happened—and what it meant—remains fiercely debated.

Donna Laframboise, a member of the original National Postnewsroom and former vice-president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, spent a week in Ottawa photographing the protest. A few months later, she began interviewing truckers, volunteers, donors, and other ordinary Canadians whose experiences became the basis of her book, Thank You, Truckers! Canada’s Heroes & Those Who Helped Them.

Her book turns the lens away from politicians and official narratives and toward the people themselves: those who drove across the country, and those who supplied food, fuel, clothing, shelter, money, and practical help along the way.

Donna argues that the Convoy helped change the trajectory of Canada’s pandemic response and that important parts of its story were inadequately—or inaccurately—reported by mainstream media. She’ll share what she witnessed firsthand, what she discovered through her interviews, and why she believes these accounts deserve a place in Canada’s historical record.

Have we heard the whole story?

Come hear Donna’s perspective, bring your questions, and join the discussion. Whether you supported the Convoy, opposed it, or are still making sense of those extraordinary weeks, this is an opportunity to revisit a pivotal moment in recent Canadian history with curiosity, critical thinking, and a willingness to listen.

Wednesday, September 30

Potluck: 6:30 PM — Bring healthy food to share

Presentation & Discussion: 7:30–9:30 PM

Studio 202, 43 Towns Rd., Etobicoke

By donation: Suggested contribution $10–25. No one turned away.

Donna Laframboise is an independent journalist and author of five books whose work has appeared in numerous Canadian newspapers and magazines.