WINDSOR, ONT. -- A Windsor truck driver and the Michigan Trucking Association (MTA) are pleased to hear of a new vaccine clinic just for Manitoba transport drivers.
“It’s good to hear that people are taking initiative, especially in the United States,” says Joe Marchand, a Windsor truck driver.
“It’s a good deal for everybody involved,” according to Mickey Blashfield, President of the MTA.
On Wednesday, North Dakota opened a vaccine clinic, offering free vaccines for any Manitoba drivers.
They hope to vaccinate between 2,000 and 4,000 Canadian drivers, like Jagdeep Banag.
“Sometime we don’t have time to go for the vaccine because we are on the road so this is very good for us,” Banag says.
The Governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum says it’s an arrangement because they have extra vaccines.
“We’d rather put it in somebody’s arm than on a shelf right now,” he says.
It’s an agreement, Manitoba’s Premier is excited about.
“We have a border between us, it shouldn’t be a barrier between getting people vaccinated,” Brian Pallister says.
A sentiment echoed by Blashfield.
“It shouldn’t matter which side of the border, which state or which local jurisdiction they’re in,” he says. “If they’re operating in that area let’s get ‘em vaccinated.”
“It’s important because our drivers and our border guards, they’re the lifeline of our international border,” says Marchand.
As happy as they are with this idea of vaccinating truckers, both Marchand and Blashfield don’t see this idea popping up in Michigan any time soon.
“In Michigan, there’s no real excess availability they’re trying to orderly go through the different categories and whatnot,” says Blashfield.
Marchand would love to see this set up in Michigan, but he believes the states’ current surge and “hot spot” status will stand in the way of it coming to fruition, much to his disappointment.
“As a driver, I have a duty to my job, as safely as possible,” he says. “As a father and husband, I gotta do the same thing. So, give me that shot already, what are we waiting for?”
