PRESS PROGRESS COVERS COUTTS BORDER BLOCKADE 

When threats of violence began to spring up during the border blockade in Coutts, I wanted to look for voices that were being left out of the mainstream coverage from Alberta’s big media outlets.

You might remember how vehicles broke through an RCMP line and attempted to block the Canada-US border. Emboldened by its success, the blockade grew with thousands of people joining the blockade.

Police later charged 13 people at Coutts, including several people on conspiracy to murder charges following the disturbing discovery of a gun cache present at the border and materials affiliated with a far-right militia group.

One thing mostly overlooked in all of this chaos was the town at the center of it all: a sleepy community of 200 or so people, mostly seniors.

I wanted to find out how the people who call Coutts ‘home’ felt about the blockade.

So, I spoke to the residents of this small border town—they told me they were afraid of the outsiders descending on their hometown.

They told me stories about strangers coming and photographing their homes, stories about people receiving threats and senior citizens who had to pass through multiple police checkpoints just to get groceries and visit the dentist.

Coutts had suddenly become a town under heavy police presence, with checkpoints in and out, and helicopters flying overhead, full of residents who suddenly couldn’t access home care or access groceries and services.

These are real issues to the people in Coutts. I think it’s important to make sure those issues are front and centre in the public conversation about the convoy and blockades.

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