Kelowna MLA wants to make a Freedom Convoy stat holiday in BC

Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong introduced a bill to make a new statutory holiday in recognized the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests.

Armstrong introduced the bill in the Legislative Assembly today, Dec. 2, and it made it past the first hurdle. The bill’s first reading was voted through 87 to 2. It still has to be debated before you get another day off or some more holiday pay. 

“The bill’s purpose is to recognize the achievements of the Freedom Convoy, one of the largest peaceful demonstrations in Canadian history,” Armstrong said in the assembly. “It inspired movements across the globe to stand against lockdowns and government overreach.”

The holiday would be on March 11, the date B.C. started rolling back COVID-19 restrictions and mandates. 

The provincial government said it started rolling back mandates on March 11, 2022 because of high vaccination rates and fewer hospital and critical care admissions due to COVID-19. 

Armstrong is facing a recall campaign from her constituents to get her removed from office and force a byelection because of controversial efforts to undermine First Nations’ rights. 

Armstrong left the BC Conservatives shortly after she was elected and joined a new party, OneBC, of which she is the house leader. 

OneBC put forward a bill last month to try to get rid of Truth and Reconciliation Day, but it failed to get a first reading. 

Bills that are introduced usually get a first reading, but two other bills introduced by OneBC failed to: the bill to ban First Nations land acknowledgements and a bill to ban gender-affirming care for youth.