About 50 people waving Canadian flags and cheering toward the speeding traffic below on Highway 401, stood on the west side of the Fountain Street overpass in Preston Thursday to show their support for a convoy of truckers making their way to Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates and "government overreach."
A scattered collection of big rigs below them honked their horns as they sped past.
A number of cars weaved between them, their occupants waving from the windows to acknowledge the supporters, others carrying trailers with signs touting various "Freedom Convoy" messages like "No more mandates."
"It represents our freedom," said one woman from Conestogo who didn't want to give her name. She held a foil heart decoration in front of her as she leaned over the bridge railing, hooting as truckers honked their horns.
"It's about ending all lockdowns, mental health, surgeries, everything. It's just putting our lives on hold," she said.
Nick drove up from Woodstock to meet up with friends from Cambridge for the Fountain Street rally.
"Have you ever heard that saying, what it means to be Canadian? Well this is it; we're standing up," he said.
"Unity, love," shouted another supporter.
"Everything we stand for is right here, as a country, being free," he said. "These guys are throwing their lives on the line to go down there for us. We have to be here for them."
The so-called 'Freedom Convoy' made up of hundreds of trucks from Canada and the US, working their way to Ottawa in two processions that will join together east of Toronto, made its way through Cambridge early Thursday afternoon.
Supporters gathered on regional overpasses in support of the convoy, from Ayr to Puslinch, some of them making it down to the highway near Conestoga College to raise signs as the truckers passed.
Thursday's procession began travelling from Sarnia and Windsor, meeting at the Flying J Travel Center on Highbury Avenue South in London at around 11 a.m.
From there, the convoy made its way west along the 401 heading for Kingston tonight and its final destination in Ottawa on Saturday.
"It's government overreach. It's not just about the vaccine," said a Cambridge woman unwilling to give her name.
"Everything's just gone way too far and Trudeau's messing with our food supply. I can't take my kids to swimming lessons. My parents aren't even allowed to come into my house because I have a family of five. The mandates, the restrictions, it's too much."
"This is a big movement. It's bringing a lot of people together," said Derek Manwell, of Waterloo, while waving a large Canada flag.
"This is what Canada needs. We need to get our country back, it's been hijacked," he said. "It's an amazing feeling to see Canada being united again. Especially in these hard times. And hopefully some positive change will come out of it."
