A transport truck travelling east or west across Canada has to cross the Nipigon River Bridge—top of Lake Superior an hour east of Thunder Bay—a there is no other traffic link.
There are 3 large truck fuel stations on Hwy 11-17 which bypasses the downtown area of Nipigon (population less than 2000). Not unusual to have 40 or 50 tractor-trailer units parked near the fuel stations—Petro-Can, Husky and Tim Hortons. In severely bad Winter road conditions could see a couple of hundred trucks parked locally. Railway street is the name of the old hwy which until 1967 ran thru the centre of town.
I get a text this morning from a friend that the Nipigon River Bridge was shut down by truckers? It’s -32 below zero this morning and I thought WTF. I check Facebook 1st thing and there is an announcement from the OPP to avoid Railway street in Nipigon. I live 40 miles outta town so I’m not driving anywhere in this weather even if the SUV will even start. I call my fishing buddy in town—he hadn’t heard anything but said he would go and check it out. Calls me back and says there is one truck—exactly one —parked on side of railway street. A Sikh standing outside his truck with a sign—‘Freedom Canada’. Nobody else around-the Sikh fella with a bright yellow wrap on his head said to my friend even the OPP wouldn’t stick around just told me not to park on bridge. LOL
