Winnipeg convoy plans to stay put despite province's roadmap to ending COVID restrictions

Members of the self-proclaimed "Winnipeg Freedom Convoy" are overjoyed at the news that the receding Omicron wave is allowing the province to fast forward the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions.

But they don't plan on ending their protest anytime soon.

"We're ecstatic. We're very encouraged that dialogue has been opened, and it feels like the narrative is changing a little bit," Caleb Brown, a convoy co-organizer, told CBC News. "The division feels like it's stopped."

Brown was responding to Premier Heather Stefanson's announcement on Friday that laid out a detailed roadmap for the elimination of restrictions in Manitoba.

The province intends to remove all proof of vaccination requirements on March 1, with all restrictions coming to end on March 15, the premier said. Capacity limits for many businesses and other venues, such as Winnipeg Jets home games, will be dropped Tuesday. 

Brown believes the lifting of mandates and restrictions will enable many Manitobans to resume their normal lives.

"We're going to have a celebration. It was great news today," Brown said. "We were really excited what Heather had to say, so we're going to celebrate that and continue to build unity and build bridges."

Brown says the convoy doesn't want to cause problems for anyone and that it's not trying to cause a disruption.

"We want to mitigate that the best we can. We wish we didn't have to be here to get people's attention — get elected officials' attention," he added.

Despite the province's announcement that restrictions will be coming to an end, protesters, who Stefanson says didn't play a role in Friday's decisions, say they plan to remain parked outside the Legislature Building until all of the mandates are removed.

The protest will be scaled back, Brown says, with more details will follow.

WATCH | Caleb Brown's full interview with CBC:

"Our truck drivers intend to continue their presence in front of the legislative building until the provincial COVID-19 measures are removed, and until there is collaborative discussion with the federal government on fully eliminating the border restrictions and inter-provincial mobility restrictions, particularly travel by air and train," according to the convoy's statement.

The protesters say their presence this weekend will have a celebratory feel that embodies the collaborative community spirit that epitomizes who Manitobans are. This will include watching family activities Saturday afternoon, a rally at 3 p.m. and watching the Jets play in the evening.