Urban Informed's look at the stories that might not have received enough light from the past 7 days
The last week has been a pretty intense week here in Canada but we are trying to be positive and live life because there are people who are suffering right now and people who are to the point of committing suicide. Some of us need to take a step back in this new week and take a breath and start positively again.
Let's do this.
1) Canadian Men's National Soccer Team Closer to Qatar.
This is probably the best story in Canada this week. The Canadian Men's National team came into this week with 6 games left to try qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and they found themselves in 1st place with a Thursday game in Honduras where they have not won since 1985 including an 8-1 loss a decade ago, then a Sunday home match in Hamilton against the Americans and on Wednesday this week they will be in El Salvador.
On Thursday night, Canada was able to get by Honduras with a 2-0 win with the help of a Honduran own-goal and then a late insurance goal by Canadian star Jonathan David who just might be one of the hottest scorers in the world right now.
On Sunday, back at home in Hamilton against the Americans, Canada scored early to take a 1-0 lead. Cyle Larin scored his 23rd career goal for Canada which makes him the highest goal scorer in the history of the Canadian Men's Soccer team. Sam Adekugbe would add a late goal in the last minute of the game that sealed a 2-0 over the U.S. which now puts Canada one foot in the door for the 2022 FIFA World Cup this November.
Remember, Canada has not been to the World Cup since 1986 in Mexico. It is hella time!
Canada will play Wednesday in El Salvador and a win should guarantee them a top 4 finish which means another inch closer to Qatar. Canada currently leads the Final Round with 22 points ahead of the U.S. and Mexico.
2) Truckers Descend On Ottawa
From one show of National unity to another... or is it?
Last weekend truck drivers from across Canada descended on Ottawa seemingly to protest new vaccine mandates imposed on them if they want to cross the border into the United States. However it seems that the message changed as more and more people joined into the protest and it became a "freedom convoy".
All of this over the Federal government's plan to implement vaccine measures for cross border truckers. On the surface it may have seemed like a questionable move because it is said that 90% of truckers are vaccinated so why go after them with this mandate? It just seemed at the onset that it was too much especially for an industry that overwhelmingly accepted vaccinations and an industry we need to bring food north of the border.
However, just as soon as the plans were made for truckers to go to Ottawa to voice their displeasure, the protest seemed to have been invaded by people and/or groups with different motives.
So truckers and their supporters poured in Ottawa protesting on Parliament Hill blaring their horns and making noise, blocking downtown Ottawa streets, forcing downtown businesses and an entire mall to close because a group of them went in to the mall without face masks (as is required in Ottawa). So I just want to know, were they protesting to have their freedom back by taking away the freedom of Ottawa citizens to go to work downtown? Hmm.
How about the Confederate and Swastika flags that were seen on trucks? Sure not everyone had these flags but, interestingly, some people would excuse this by saying that the media is only showing the worst parts or making up stories. The comments that were being said and actions of some tainted whatever this protest was supposed to be and right now I think most Canadians have no idea what this protest was about. If these protestors want freedom from mandates and lockdowns they are really in the wrong place. The lockdowns and mandates are mostly made by the provinces, so they should have been in their provincial capitals not Ottawa, unless of course their protest was actually about the Federal cross border mandate.
Listen we all hate these lockdowns, we all want businesses to open up but when you have a protest that calls itself a "freedom convoy" and amid a pandemic are only asking for no mandates and no forced vaccines it does not make sense. It also does not make sense that some people ignore the fact that there have been racist and troubling people associating themselves with this convoy. There surely might have been honest protestors this past weekend but the message was gone, the message was overtaken by people who ended up just being squatters on the streets of Ottawa making noise with the horns and shutting down the downtown core. If you have ever been to Ottawa then you know the downtown core isn't like Toronto or Montreal.
I only hope that people can separate the bad stuff that happened this on the weekend from actual discontent and disagreement. There is a real discussion to have here and both sides should be heard but there has to be accountability and a realization of terrible conduct on the part of some. Future convoys are scheduled to head to provincial capitals to protest mandates and lockdowns which should have been what happened in the first place. Hopefully these protests will be able to weed out the Confederate flag waving and Swastika waving elements so that their message does not get co-opted. We will see about that.
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