CAISTOR CENTRE, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) —A Canadian father who runs a trucking company remains “confident” in the face of his four criminal charges for participating in the 2022 Freedom Convoy.
Despite being charged earlier this week, Harold Jonker, who runs Jonker Trucking Inc. out of Caistor Centre in Ontario’s Niagara region, revealed he is “not concerned” and trusts in God’s plan, according to an interview with True North News.
“We’re not alone; there’s people out here that are willing to help, and I’ve been humbled by the amount of support I’ve been receiving from people across Canada,” he said.
Jonker said the charges laid against him 14 months after the convoy “came as a surprise but not as a shock.” According to the terms of his bond, he must turn himself in to the Ottawa Police on May 10, but Jonker remains hopeful, saying, “The Lord willing, the truth prevails. It always does; it just sometimes takes a long time.”
The trucker faces one charge of mischief for obstructing property, another for intimation by blocking or obstructing a highway, and two counts of counsel for an uncommitted, indictable offence.
Jonker’s case has been taken up by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which is currently defending several Canadian truckers charged for participation in the Freedom Convoy.
While Jonker hopes that the charges will be dropped, like those against previous truckers, he voiced concern about being prevented from working. “If I do have criminal charges against meand that sticks, then I don’t think I’ll be able to cross the border,” he said.
But while Jonker said this restriction would be difficult, he noted he could “keep busy within the office.”
“At the same time, no, I’m not concerned. (…) The truth will prevail,” he added.
“If I do get charged, we’ll have to adjust life somewhat, but not to worry.”
Jonker explained that his Christian faith keeps him from succumbing to fear, saying, “I’m comforted in the fact that we are called to speak the truth, and after that, it’s not up to us.”
“We were called to do the best we can, and after that, we need to leave it in the good Lord’s hands, and that’s where it is with me,” he said. “I’m confident that the Lord has a plan. What it exactly is we’ll find out.”
“It might be interesting where it goes, but life is supposed to be interesting, so I’m looking forward to do whatever the Lord decided to with me,” Jonker added.
Jonker is only one of many to face charges after the Freedom Convoy, which took place in January and February 2022, reached Ottawa. The grassroots movement was a protest against COVID mandates imposed by the federal, provincial, and local governments.
The Freedom Convoy protests inspired Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to enact the Emergencies Act (EA) on February 14, 2022, to shut it down.
Trudeau had disparaged unvaccinated Canadians, saying those opposing his measures were of a “small, fringe minority” who hold “unacceptable views” and do not “represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other.”
Trudeau revoked the EA on February 23 after the protesters had been cleared out. Hundreds of protesters were arrested for participating in the Freedom Convoy while the EA was in place. Many, but not all, saw their charges dropped.
The use of the EA empowered the government to freeze bank accounts. Nearly $8 million of Canadians’ savings, held in 267 bank accounts, were inaccessible. Additionally, 170 bitcoin wallets were frozen. The freezing of bank accounts without a court order was an unprecedented action in Canadian history.
Last month, Judge Paul Rouleau , who has ties to Trudeau’s Liberal Party, exonerated the prime minister’s use of the EA to decimate the Freedom Convoy after releasing the final report of the Public Order Emergency Commission.