Jim Willett

There were complaints that Mounties were not doing enough at the Canada-U. S. border-crossing in Coutts, Alta., when protests erupted over COVID-19 pandemic policies.

The sound of blaring horns that echoed through this village 10 months ago has been replaced by the steady hum of semi-trailer trucks filing through the border crossing between Alberta and the United States.

RCMP appeared caught off guard by protesters blockading a Canada-U.S. border crossing last winter despite Alberta's government being warned ahead of time, the mayor of Coutts, Alta., testified at a public inquiry on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.

Coutts mayor speak out.

"We're here for the big picture. It started with the border thing, it started with Trudeau and until Trudeau moves, we don't move," said John Vanreeuwyk, a feedlot operator from Coaldale, Alta.

The mayor of a small Alberta border town says semi-trailers rolling through the community serve as a constant reminder of the pandemic's effect on the lives of community members.

Long-haul truckers are playing an important role in bringing supplies into Canada, but some people are concerned not enough is being done to ensure they aren't transporting COVID-19 with them.

When the mayor of a village in southern Alberta stares across the border, he sees family and friends who just happen to call Montana home.