Shaun Newman Podcast - #245 - Convoy Update #5

Episode Date: January 29, 2022

Hopped in with the Convoy and talked with Spencer "Pretty Boy" Boutz and on the roadside with Black Diamond Tim. Let me know what you think Text me 587-217-8500

Welcome to the podcast, folks. We finally made it to the final destination before Ottawa tomorrow, which actually is today. It's midnight. It was, I think that drive was supposed to take us roughly eight hours. And I mean, in a convoy, you can tack on a few minutes to that, obviously going a little slower than normal. But an eight-hour drive took 17 hours. And on top of that, I've never seen so many people. on the side of a street, a road, a highway in the middle of nowhere, minus 30, 11 o'clock at night,

waving flags. It was a wild, wild day. I did an interview with Anita Krishna. She was a former employee of Global News out in Vancouver and got let go for her views. And she'd brought up that Global News was trying to portray the convoy as carrying weapons and violent, which Obviously, by this point, you know my thoughts on this. It couldn't be anything from further than that. And I keep saying it's like a Bob Marley song. It's just peace, love, unity. And we may have, you know, my wife's American.

So I've been trying to articulate what I'm seeing on the road. And my first time I ever went down the United States for July 4th, I was envious because I think it was in Minnesota. they're not allowed to sell fireworks. And on July 4th, they all go across to Wisconsin and get fireworks to bring them back. And they start letting those suckers off on July 4th at like 8 a.m. No one cares. And they go all day long.

And then we went out to Cooner Rapids Dam on the river. And you stand on it at night and it's like 360 fireworks. And they just go and go and go and go. and I remember thinking like, man, I love the Americans, how they show pride and where they're from. And driving all day long today, I've never seen so many Canadian flags. Minus 30, everybody out there waving, sleuting, having a grand old time, and the amount of horns going off from the trucks, from the vehicles that have joined in on the convoy was just amazing. just think, like, you know, Canada today, there isn't that many Canadian flags. Like, how many

people you see roaming around with Canadian flags like that? We're not so, we're not really patriotic. Well, today, I saw how Canadians can really be patriotic for their country. And I, I, honestly, you can still hear the horns going outside the hotel. To me, to me, to me, to me that today just showed what the Canadian flag really means and it just went up so many notches in my book it's not even funny we do have that side to us it just took a lot longer to find it and I've been seeing it all along the road for the last couple days but today was just 17 hours of non-stop my arm hurts from honking the horn so bloody much it was it was a it was a day I would say that after this is done

I'd argue we might have a new national holiday on January 29th, I hope. Who needs the Canada Day to be in the summer so you can have a long weekend? I think half of us would rather stand out minus 40 below and watch a convoy run through, honking their horns and everything else with a big bonfire sitting on the highway waiting for it to come with good friends and bundled up. I just hope you can understand the picture I'm trying to put out there because, It was, has been something I wish every last Canadian could be a part of. I know I should point out in Lloyd, there's convoys rolling out to go through Lloyd, and then there's other ones going from Lloyd to Eminton.

There's convoys all day, Saturday. If you tune this in before they leave, head into Regina, Emmington, Calgary. I heard Victoria now has one. Winnipeg. like it's just spreading like wildfires. So if you can get in a vehicle and go join a convoy anywhere around you, I highly suggest that it's unbelievable to be a part of and to see all the people come out to it.

It's been a real just moving experience. And to all the other people that can't see that, they just got to find a way to open their eyes because what's going on here is, It's bigger than one person. This started out as a truck convoy going to Ottawa, and it has turned into a rally for everyone's voice who hasn't been heard, or for everyone who, there goes tracks with Cadna flags.

This is the biggest rock concert you've ever been to, times a thousand, and everybody's just loving it everywhere. Everywhere we go. It's just, that's unbelievable. Now, today I'll quit babbling. You have to forgive me. I've been not a whole lot of sleep, and I'm probably running out of steam here, and I've got to still go edit it here.

It's already midnight. So I apologize, because I'm assuming a few, you know, the first night, it was 8 o'clock, then it was kind of 9 o'clock. Then, you know, it just keeps getting later and later. The days keep getting longer and longer. But regardless, I'll try and get it out here so that you wake up in the morning. You got something fresh to hear on the convoy. Today I did get to hop in with Spencer Bouts, Spencer Pretty Boy Bouts,

and ride in the convoy as it left Sioux-St. Marie. So you're going to hear a conversation sitting alongside him. And then one of the guys on the side of the road we met up with right first early in the morning, and he's been riding, you know, falling the convoy since Calgary. So enjoy. and wherever you're at here January 29th, I hope you embrace Canada, put on your red, wave a flag, go out and join in wherever you can,

let our voices be heard, and God bless. And this is just awesome. The horns are going and it's still going right now and the flags are flying and there's just so much pride here for Canada. So without further ado, we'll get you on to the show. But what's your name for the record? Yeah, no, my name's Spencer Bow. from Saskatoon, Humble, the A area.

Middle Lake is the town. My number is 306, 231-5007. I run a small trucking company. We're a startup company. We haven't even hit a year yet, actually, called Hard Work Hall. And yeah, no, we do some breakneck double drop, wide load equipment hauling, stuff like that.

And we've been getting pretty heavily involved with construction companies now, just doing like Crusher, Gravel Hall, We have a cat and a hose, so looking about those to work here in the near future. Yeah, we're pretty open to work. We've kind of been doing a little bit of everything. Now, what's your handle? Maybe call me Pretty Boy, I guess.

I don't know why. I don't know, you're sitting beside me, you might be able to tell. I look like my mom, so. Well, I guess you get your looks from her mom is what they're trying to tell you. That's right, yeah. How old are you? for it. So, you know, when we first started out, you know, like I was saying, with the podcast, you've been very in tune with a lot of things going on and waiting for something like this.

Everybody was waiting for, you know, I kind of used the analogy of fighting like David and Goliath. And instead of a stone, a spear and everybody's waiting for the spearhead. Like, what's going to be the tip of the spear? Like what, and then what can we push? And as soon as this thing started, you went, everybody knew it. Like the people that knew knew, the people that didn't want to know, they weren't listening anyways. Correct. But the people that knew were waiting for something just like, there it is, there, there, there fuck it is.

Let's go. Yeah, no, there was no doubt in my mind. It was a calling. When I first got word of it, actually I was off Facebook for a long time. I was just so sick of hearing everything and constant negativity and all the BS. So I got off Facebook and I just recently got back on and I can't remember how I even caught into this but um when I first looked at it there was you know a couple thousand people on the Facebook page and I don't think the go fund me it hit a hundred

grand I remember being pumped when it hit a hundred grand so so no I was I was that right now is it almost it's only got to be over six I think it was five point eight last time I checked yeah I have no idea so been so busy driving and you know I'm trying I'm alone in the truck here so I'm trying not to focus on media too much not to try not to focus on pictures and stuff i'm just really trying to grasp what's even happening you know i i don't think we even have an idea we're just a wing on the west here we're just we're just a small sliver as funny as that might sound is what's going to happen here you know we got the south and east convoys are well east is bigger the south is much bigger so i don't think anyone

can really grasp what's actually going on here but yeah no one i when i heard about it i was right away I was committed before people knew about it, and when people were still calling me crazy, now the same people are, you know, cheering me on. Right. And nothing against them, but, no, it's been really good. Well, you go back to, you go back through history, and you think of anyone who could just see a little bit into the future, they were always called crazy. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.

No, it's always the people who push the emblem who are different, you know, people called Martin Luther King crazy, right? Yeah. Like not comparing this to that directly. You know, I've been saying, like, yeah, you can't compare us to, you know, Gandhi or Martin Luther King and all these things. But at the same token, I don't know about you. I've been living in this country for two years. I've thought it. I know a ton of people thought of it.

Like, maybe we should just get the heck out of it. I interviewed his dad and his three kids from Vancouver Island yesterday. And he says to me the first thing. And he's a younger guy like us. And he goes, the first thing he says is, I love him. I just slid in there. The younger guys like us, you're 24, I'm 35. I'm feeling young.

Anyway, he goes, you know, I've got to be honest. I started looking at other countries. Like, maybe we just need to get out of here. And I heard this, and I went, no, I'm going. And these kids all saddle up and said, we want to come. And so, you know, we, it's a humble thing, because I agree. I don't know. But I think to the rest of the country, this is bigger than just a couple trucks running down the road.

We already know that. And the thing is, as this grows and people start to learn what's going on, this might be a small sliver of a train compared to the east and west, or the east and south, sorry, but it's the longest one. And for people to drive through some of the worst highway known to man, which, let's be clear, northern Ontario, that is exactly what it is. Like people are, people are falling along. This is giving them extreme amount of hope.

That sliver of hope is growing into a tidal wave. Absolutely. No, we've been working hard here, guys. Like yesterday was some trucks were on the road for 15 hours, and I'm a younger guy. I'm pretty energetic, and even I'm getting there to the point where it's really getting tough. So hats off to the older guys, the young kids who are riding,

the families. No, everyone's doing a phenomenal job. It is hard work. And, no, absolutely. I agree with everything you said. I did look myself into getting into the states, you know, basically abandoning ship, but that's not the answer, especially when we're so rooted, you know, there.

I think my perspective when you know you're looking at the states and stuff like that is that you're alone, you know, you want to go join your people in Florida or those states that are free, right? You want to go join your people. But we've been tricked into thinking that our people aren't here. And it's more than obvious when you drive through all these small towns, that we are Florida, we are the free, and we just need to realize that

and come together in that. I think it's almost like a well-kept secret, and I think social media does a big part in that, keeping the freedom spirit hidden and keeping the control more prevalent. And so people who are followers, which is majority, and not a huge problem, but whatever they see and however they want to fit in is how they're going to go with it.

So we need to get away from those big media outlets like Facebook and stuff that are censoring us really hard because it's swaying our perspectives big time. Yeah. I, uh, oh man, it's you think you're all alone and then, you know, for myself, Like, I've been going to different community halls all throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta, where, you know, it's been this underground movement of the extremists, which is a bunch of grandmas and nice people, and just they don't understand what's going on.

And everybody's just like, you know, you can't tell if you're one of 10 million and you're going crazy, or if you're in fact 10 million, and you're just like everybody else, but nobody's willing to talk, you know, and they can't. and then you get on the road and following what you guys have been doing and seeing the people. Like, I was staying outside, my hands are so cold again, and I'm laughing at myself because there's people last night in Sioux St. Marie that were probably standing out there for five hours at least waiting on the convoy to come in, and when it got there, they were jumping and hooting. Like, it was an absolute party.

I'll never forget that. No, I hear what you're saying. I've been outside of my truck for an hour, and I'm dressed up fairly decent, and I'm running back to my truck rubbing my hands together looking over beside me at people who've been yeah literally jumping up and down for three hours the convoy is hours long and they do not stop cheering and jumping around there's kids in snowsuits that cannot move their arms they're standing out there cheering you know there's old guys veterans with their hats on with the crests and stuff like that they can hardly stand up in the wind and they're holding

flags it is just breathtaking and like I said I'm trying so hard to process it and And I don't think it's, I don't think it is possible to right now. I think we're going to have to do a lot of reflecting when we get back home. It's going to, it's going to shake a lot of trees for sure. To the people back home, is there anything, is there anything you think of that you're like, a story you think they should hear firsthand that you've seen, or any surprises along the road that you've seen that, you know, just like, man, they really need to hear this.

I think the biggest thing is the kids. Like you wouldn't believe the children and the stories they have. I actually have pictures in my truck. Hand drawn with crayons, like little kids drawing pictures of semis and stuff like that. And these kids, they've had a rough couple years, you know. Like all they want to do is fit in and that's really been taken from them. And they felt really alone. I guess a personal story for that in Regina, a woman came up and she was a Christian lady.

had a couple kids and they were personally thanking me and crying and saying that, you know, they've been really alone in the, in this in the last couple of years. And this has brought a lot of hope to them. You know, it's, and that's what's really driving all these people here. You know, we're seeing people side of the road and cooking food that have lost their jobs and they are, they're hurting. And it's not about them. They just keep talking about the kids, the kids, the kids, you know, next generation, because we're at a place now that isn't pretty, but if this anti-freedom mentality, this safety over anything else, I guess the way you could put it, is a very, very dark hole to travel down. We're at a point now where world still goes around, but this isn't

something that you wait until it's a major, like a major, like a... major, major problem. You gotta get on, get on it and start getting uncomfortable and doing stuff like this. You know who Andrew, do you know who soldier in this? No, I don't. Sorry. Okay, he's a, he's a man who wrote the book, The Guleg Archipelago, and it's about Russia and the Gulegs. And he was a man in the military with Russia and then, and then ended up getting hauled away and living in the Gulegs. the prison system there for a long time and then wrote a book about it. And won a Nobel Peace Prize, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Anyways. Alexander soldier, and I said Andrew, and I'm like, that doesn't sound right. That was I talking. Anyways, he said, and not as many his words, I'm probably twist him a bit, but he basically said, if we could go back to the start, we would have yelled from the top of our lungs, and we wouldn't have stopped. Because we just went along compliant and compliant, and pretty soon by the time you were wanting to yell it was too late and i you know i think back to

lines like that from a book and you go like what's going on here right now like it's a rallying cry to pull everybody up because we can't go on you know like it's been two years everybody's had there you know we're watching what the united states the uk europe everybody's doing and everybody's been kind of wondering where's can it like personally living here i'm like where are my people right i'm i'm trying my best I'm trying to figure out, like, what's going on. And it's funny, you kind of overlooked the truckers. My dad was a trucker, right?

Like, everywhere right in front of your eyes, there's truckers. I come from Lloyd Minster. It's an agriculture and oil field city is what they say. And now I think, no, it's a trucking city, because both those two industries rely on trucks on the road. You know? Absolutely. I totally understand what you're saying.

I was just talking you before the podcast started. I'm a farm boy from Middle Lake and I work at the mines. You're a metal lake, boy? Middle Lake. Oh, Middle Lake. Yeah, just a small town by Humboldt. But anyways, I work in a potash mine down south and I do really well there. And, you know, it's good there.

They haven't imposed mandates. But anyways, I was a farm boy and I was never huge into semis. You know, I grew up. It wasn't really my thing until. a year ago I started a company and kind of took everyone by surprise just to just two rigs on the road and you know thinking back I never really planned for it too much you know I kind of just went with what was happening and it I can't help but think that it just brought me to this moment you know like it was totally out of my control from

the beginning it was this was just a turn in my life where I didn't need to start a company I'm doing just fine and stuff like that. But it's definitely beyond my control, and I think it's beyond a lot of people's control here. What's happening. There's something that we can't really put into words happening here, and it's just great, for sure. You're doing what I do on the podcast.

That's a deep question, right? Like, if it's a beautiful way to look at what's happening, honestly. You think, man, if this hadn't to happen, would that have happened, and et cetera, et cetera. There's a quote from Jurassic Park about straight linearity. And I know it's funny because everybody looks for wisdom like in the Bible and things like that. And here, give me a second. By the way, guys, we're just sitting outside of, outside of St. Marie. And anyone who's thinking about coming from Lloyd Minister,

B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, in your cars and trucks or in your rigs, don't hesitate to come because we will be there for many, many days. You won't miss it if you come now, tomorrow, the next day. I keep hearing people say they wish they would have came. Please. Get in the car and come. You would not miss it. We'll be there for many days.

And all these stops along the way, they have an abundance. of food and they are well you're gonna get to experience what I experienced there is nothing more important than getting this feeling of unity you guys but you are you did not miss the time slot you are you are more than right here you just guys start rolling and make your way you'll be accommodated everything's good there's no fuel shortage everything is smooth rolling you are so much more than welcome you guys. There's lots of people who are leaving now and get in with those and

be a part of this. Yes. Wherever you're at, if you think you got, you can't make it or you want to make it and you're trying to put hoops in front of you. Don't just get in the vehicle and start driving. And all of a sudden you'll realize holy geez, we made it to Ontario and then

you're going to, you know, and if the people who have been out on the highway and everything know there's going to be more coming through, I think they'll be there because they've been, like it is been a wild thing to watch. I was saying straight linear. You were talking about how do you make sense of everything. And I look for, everybody looks for wisdom in the Bible, right?

Or whatever book. I mean, there's some real books of wisdom, you know. Jurassic Park, I don't think, fits that bill, you know? But it was a national bestseller. I think it was 1991 or 92, summer back in the early 90s. Anyways, I read it, and it shocked me. In the middle of COVID, I read it. And this line came out of the book.

It said straight linearity is an artificial way of viewing the world. Real life isn't a series of interconnected events happening one after another like beads strung on a necklace. Life is a series of encounters where one event can change all the events that follow in an unpredictable way. And I just see what's happening here over and over and over again every single day. And it just, it's, I have no idea what's coming. but it's going to absolutely move the dial again because you just can't see it. They put up a roadblock. That's going to get shouted across all the world.

I mean, they don't, and you roll on through. It's just another show of support for love and unity and everything else. I say, I wish I could have Bob Marley sitting in the back seat right now making a song on this because, I mean, the vibes and everything else I've seen all across Canada has been unbelievable. But I don't know. I can't put it into words either on what exactly is. is going on and I fully understand the, you know, you just got to kind of let your brain wrestle with and soak it in and try and come to turns with what you're seeing and what you're a part of.

But I call you guys the tip of the spear. And what you're talking about other people back home is like the energy's there, follow it, push this thing through the beast, and let's move on with life and bring back freedom and life and everything else here in this wonderful country of Canada, which I think for a long time none of us were saying, and now we can truly say because we're seeing it across all the provinces. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think, I guess you call it the universe rewards people who stick to their guns. And I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I like to reflect and I'm not stuck to one thing. I'm pretty open to ideas, you know, like I don't think I'm right.

I'll, I reflect lots. I don't, I'm not too stubborn in that way. And over the last two years, everyone's been telling me that I'm wrong, I'm wrong, I'm wrong. And so I've been thinking over and over, you know, is this, you know, going over my views on how this has all been going down and just, you know, doubting myself. And at the end of every conversation I keep having in my head is, no, there's no way you are totally correct. We have to stick up for this. And this is the reward at the end of that all. Sticking to your guns is getting to experience this absolute historical event. it is no question that you are rewarded for being different and being strong in your views,

absolutely. Yeah, well, I really appreciate you hopping on here and giving me a little bit of your story. All I can think of is pretty boy. Yeah, I'm where you look, hey? No, I just laughing. I'm like, how do you get a cool nickname? Well, you get in a truck and a convoy, folks, and then you earn your stripes, so to speak right they all they all get you know like it's it's it's uh geez i'm i'm forgetting the movie

somewhere out there's a movie and it might be young guns actually i want i want a nickname you know you got billy you got or you the kid you got all these different nicknames and they don't give the one guy a nickname until the end when everybody's dead pretty much right and then he doesn't want a nickname well here i go everybody wants a nickname well the way you get it is hopping in a truck getting a part of the convoy and and moving along so appreciate you hopping on pretty boy and and i'm looking forward to hitting Ottawa and everything else with you, boys. Yeah, 10-4. You know, just one last thing.

Everybody has an inherited responsibility to get uncomfortable and to fight for our freedoms. We all are responsible if Canada becomes less free or becomes more tyrannical. It is my fault and it is your fault. We're not victims to the government. We're not victims to what we're imposed to. we are responsible to keep, to hold the line and keep everything free and healthy for our kids. Thank you, sir. You're welcome.

What's your name? Tim. All right, Tim, where are you from? South of Calgary, Black Diamond. What made you hop in the truck and become part of this convoy? Been going to freedom rallies year and a half. And I was getting frustrated, lost hope in the country. that we got to do something, we got to wake people up.

You know, you feel like the minority. And as soon as there was a little momentum, got to go with it, get it going. I was saying, you could feel the energy in the entire country. Everybody's like, throwing something at the wall, hoping something sticks or finds a hole, that type of thing. And as soon as this got word out, you could feel the energy go, this is it.

like everybody knew everybody knew now along the road you've got to witness Winnipeg and and all these different provinces what was what was something that sticks out because there's going to be so many people that are falling along but haven't experienced it firsthand and they want to hear the story so what's what's a story from the road that just like moved you or surprised you or maybe both Winnipeg I'll never think of that city the same I had only been there once before I've heard hockey players talk about it why do you play there? They said you don't understand the love for it.

Paul Maurice is a coach. Why do you coach there? But I'll tell you, driving through Winnipeg. CBC said there was one report was 100 people who were at the side of the road. Another one was 1,000. I don't know how many people are in that province. I swear half where most of the province was along the highway. We crawled through Winnipeg. We thought we'd make time there. We crawled through. I could have walked faster. grown men crying coming up to the truck hugging you people throwing food in the truck cds in the truck books in the truck trying to give you money thank you thank you and we said no thank you 20 miles outside of town the trans canada narrowed to one lane not cars on the road people on the road that's how many people

were there 20 miles out of town like it was i have talked to truckers in this convoy the roughest tough guys and they've all said I cried and I was one of them. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. But not just Winnipeg, Kenora. The RCMP shut down in Winnipeg at the Flying J. The Hutterites had brought lunch for 4,000 people. The RCMP blocked off the entrance.

So they packed up the food and when we got to Canora that night, They had hauled it all to Canora and had it ready for us. You know, things like that. Along in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the Hutterites, they never get involved. They had bus loads of people cheering on. I've never heard Hutterite girls scream that loud. And so, yeah, I mean, there are so many stories. The ladies, you know, mothers with their infant at the side of the road,

wrapped up in minus 27, minus 28 weather with a wind, holding their infants early in the morning, cheering you on, saying thank you, and their voice crackling with emotion because they're holding back the tears. Well, I appreciate you sharing all the stories. I always ask, any thoughts for the truck drivers? I'm assuming you've met a few of them by now,

but if they do listen, any thoughts, words of encouragement as they continue to roll this thing along? They're amazing. To me, so many people dropped the ball before them. Sorry, I worded that wrong. They did not drop the ball, but athletes, heroes, policemen, firemen, you know, you know, putting, you know, back in all this stuff. And the truck drivers were the ones to say no, and we can't thank them enough.

that this, they are exactly what this country needed to get the ball rolling. And we cannot thank them enough. They're, they're amazing guys and I've talked to a lot of them. It's like a big family now. I mean, we travel and you know a lot of them by name and they come up, give you a hug. And, you know, we went into the convenience store yesterday before the 17 and it was packed. You couldn't even get down the aisles and everybody's laughing and joking. And the ones you don't know they introduce themselves and it's pretty special but truck drivers they deserve all the credit in the world because I don't think before this a month ago I had lost faith in this country and I think some people may never know how close we were to communism yeah I was I was saying

well from all the interviews I've been doing so many people I interviewed a dad and his three kids yesterday from Vancouver Island and he said you know I was starting to look at other countries And I went, don't worry, we all were. Right? We were all like, where is our country right now? And I just go back to the energy. You could feel the energy, but nobody knew what to do. And the government wouldn't listen to anything.

And all of a sudden, the truckers come. And you forget how important the truckers are, right? You're waiting for your athletes, your politicians to do what's right. Whatever it is. I'm an athlete. I'm a former hockey player. And I was waiting for somebody just to, you know, and then when they look back in history,

they're going to go, they made a fatal error. They pissed off the lifeblood of your entire economy. Oh, the truckers, right? My father used to drive these highways. And as soon as you did that and you saw the wave coming, it wasn't a wave. It was an absolute tsunami. You just couldn't see it because it was so far off. And everybody could feel it.

Once you felt that wave of emotion go through the population, that's why you see everybody out honking the horns. Like, we were laughing. It feels like the roads here in Sue St. Marie. And you can hear it in the back. The honks haven't stopped all night. Like it's just been, everybody can feel it. This is coming to a head here in a day now.

Tomorrow is the day. And I'm really excited to see what happens here. But I appreciate you talking. Any thoughts? Yeah, absolutely. When you said, it reminded me of another story. The other morning we were having breakfast at the hotel in Regina. and we sat down with a Russian lady.

She had fled Russia, fled communism. And she told us, she said, I almost fled Canada and went back to Russia. And then she said, no, I'm going to stay and fight. She said I was on the way to the embassy and somebody stopped me. That's how close she was. And she stayed here and she's in the convoy. And I mean, what does that tell you? You're going to flee Canada?

to go back to Russia when you fled there in the first place? Yeah, it says a lot about where we're at. Absolutely. Well, I appreciate you doing this with me this morning. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to tell stories.