Sooke Chamber one of 160+ Canadian organizations representing thousands of Canadian businesses, calling on political leaders to end blockades threatening infrastructure

Image from https://chamber.ca/critical-infrastructure-blockades/

Open letter from Canadian businesses to our elected representatives

Canadian businesses have suffered under the strain of constant disruptions over the last two years. The challenges they have had to overcome have included COVID-19, extreme weather events, increasing inflationary pressures, labour shortages, and supply chain disruptions. Now achieving a successful recovery is threatened by the ongoing blockades of the critical infrastructure that enables the livelihoods and well-being of all Canadians.

The harm is both immediate and severe. Each hour that these blockades continue does more serious damage to our economy and to our society. Manufacturers that depend on just-in-time delivery have been forced to cancel shifts for thousands of workers, shipments of livestock and of fresh produce face serious delays or waste that threaten food security, and deliveries of products that are greatly needed by Canadian families are being cancelled. These curtailments will only grow in scope and impact if the blockades continue.

Allowing these illegal closures to continue will also have serious economic and reputational consequences for the years ahead. The blockades not only strike against the rule of law that protects our rights and freedoms but also undermines Canada’s international reputation. We are already hearing calls to move investment, contracts, and production from Canada because of our inability to guarantee timely delivery to international customers.

Canadians expect our elected representatives at all levels of government and from all political parties to set aside partisanship and jurisdictional squabbling to bring this issue to a quick resolution.

Our organizations call upon our elected representatives to expeditiously take the following actions.

• Deliver a strong and unified commitment from the Prime Minister, Premiers, Opposition Party Leaders, and Mayors that the rule of law will be upheld.
• Urgently enact measures to protect critical infrastructure to ensure further closures do not take place elsewhere in the country in the days ahead.
• Seek immediate injunctive measures through the courts to assert a clear message that lawlessness will not be tolerated.
• Ensure law enforcement agencies have all the necessary political support and appropriate tools needed to restore public order and remove any physical blockades that are not dismantled voluntarily.

Along with the vast majority of Canadians, Canada’s business community looks to you to restore the rule of law and to bring a successful end to these illegal actions that are damaging our economy and the well-being of our citizens. As order is re-established, we pledge to do our best to restore the jobs, products, and services so greatly needed by our fellow citizens.

Signatories:

1. 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce
2. Aerospace Industries Association of Canada
3. Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade
4. Alberta Chambers of Commerce
5. Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce
6. Animal Nutrition Association of Canada
7. Associated Equipment Distributors
8. Association of Canadian Port Authorities
9. Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
10. Association québécoise de l’industrie du cannabis
11. Atlantic Chamber of Commerce
12. Beer Canada
13. Blue Mountains Chamber of Commerce
14. Brampton Board of Trade
15. Brandon Chamber of Commerce
16. Business Council of Manitoba
17. Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
18. Campbell River & District Chamber of Commerce
19. Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums
20. Canada-U.S. Business Association
21. Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA)
22. Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters
23. Canadian Association of MoldMakers / AutomTe Canada
24. Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
25. Canadian Automobile Dealers Association
26. Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
27. Canadian Chamber of Commerce
28. Canadian Construction Association
29. Canadian Federation of Independent Business
30. Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers
31. Canadian Food Exporters Association
32. Canadian Franchise Association
33. Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association Ltd
34. Canadian Horticulture Council
35. Canadian Home Builders’ Association
36. Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
37. Canadian Meat Council
38. Canadian Pet Connection
39. Canadian Produce Marketing Association
40. Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association
41. Canadian Rental Association
42. Canadian Society of Customs Brokers
43. Canadian Steel Producers Association
44. Canadian Sugar Institute
45. Canadian Toy Association
46. Canola Council of Canada
47. Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce
48. Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce
49. Chaleur Chamber of Commerce
50. Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
51. Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton
52. Chamber of Commerce Niagara Falls, Canada
53. Chamber of Commerce serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows
54. Chambre de Commerce et d’industrie de Sherbrooke
55. Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce
56. Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
57. Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce
58. Conception Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
59. Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce
60. CropLife Canada
61. Downtown Fredericton Inc.
62. East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce
63. East Hants and Districts Chamber of Commerce
64. Eastern PEI Chamber of Commerce
65. Electro-Federation Canada
66. Fertilizer Canada
67. FETCO
68. Flamborough Chamber of Commerce
69. Food Health & Consumer Products of Canada.
70. Food Producers of Canada
71. Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
72. Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce
73. Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
74. Freight Management Association
75. Frontier Duty Free Association
76. Gander and Area Chamber of Commerce
77. Georgina Chamber of Commerce
78. Global Automakers of Canada
79. Grain Growers of Canada
80. Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce
81. Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce
82. Greater Fort Erie Chamber of Commerce
83. Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
84. Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
85. Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce
86. Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce
87. Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce
88. Guelph Chamber of Commerce
89. Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce
90. Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
91. Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada
92. HRAI: Heating Refrigeration Air Conditioning Institute of Canada
93. Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce
94. Huron Chamber of Commerce – Goderich, Central and North Huron
95. Industrial Minerals Association – North America
96. Innovative Medicines Canada
97. Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA)
98. Junto Business Solutions Inc.
99. Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce
100. Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce
101. La Chambre de commerce de l’Ouest-de-l’Île de Montréal
102. Leamington District Chamber of Commerce
103. Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce
104. Lindsay + District Chamber of Commerce
105. London Chamber of Commerce
106. Lunenburg Board of Trade
107. Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce
108. Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
109. Meaford Chamber of Commerce
110. Medtech Canada
111. Milton Chamber of Commerce
112. Mining Association of Canada
113. Mississauga Board of Trade
114. Morinville & District Chamber of Commerce
115. Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce
116. Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce
117. North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
118. NWT Chamber of Commerce
119. Oakville Chamber of Commerce
120. Ontario Chamber of Commerce
121. Orillia District Chamber of Commerce
122. Ottawa Board of Trade
123. Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce
124. Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce
125. Peachland Chamber of Commerce
126. Port aux Basques and Area Chamber of Commerce
127. Port Colborne-Wainfleet Chamber of Commerce
128. Pulse Canada
129. Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce
130. Quinte West Chamber of Commerce
131. Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada
132. Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce
133. Responsible Distribution Canada
134. Retail Council of Canada
135. RGA
136. Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce
137. Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
138. Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce
139. Sherwood Park & District Chamber of Commerce
140. Shipping Federation of Canada
141. Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce
142. South Stormont Chamber of Commerce
143. South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce
144. St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce
145. St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce
146. Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce
147. Supply Chain Canada
148. Surrey Board of Trade
149. SWIFT CURRENT & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
150. The Business Council of Canada
151. The Canadian American Border Trade Alliance
152. The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitain Montreal
153. The Fort Saskatchewan & District Chamber of Commerce
154. The Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce
155. The Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce
156. The Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce
157. The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce
158. Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce
159. Titan Tek Inc.
160. Toronto Region Board of Trade
161. Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce
162. Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce
163. Vermilion & District Chamber of Commerce
164. Wasaga Beach Chamber of Commerce
165. Welland/Pelham Chamber of Commerce
166. West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce
167. Western Canadian Shippers’ Coalition
168. Whitby Chamber of Commerce
169. Whitchurch-Stouffville Chamber of Commerce
170. WindsorEssex Regional Chamber of Commerce
171. Wine Growers Canada
172. Woodstock District Chamber of Commerce
173. WRLA
174. Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce
175. Yukon Chamber of Commerce

Want to support this initiative? Write to your elected official(s) at the federal, provincial/territorial, or municipal level. Download this letter template and send it to your elected officials to let them know your concern over the ongoing illegal blockades.