Brigitte Belton
Brigitte Belton is a Canadian truck driver who started the 2022 Canada convoy protest (initially organized to oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers).
Personal life
[edit]Belton is from Wallaceburg, Ontario.[1] She is not vaccinated for COVID-19.[2][3] She is married, and is both a mother and a grandmother.[4]
Originally an Ontario Party's candidate in 2022, Belton now supports the New Blue Party of Ontario,[5], both minor right-wing populist political parties.
Activism
[edit]On 16 November 2021 Canadian Border Services Agency officers refused Belton entry to Canada at the Detroit-Windor due to her failure to wear a face mask.[1]
In May 2022, Belton was selected as the Ontario Party's candidate for the Elgin-Middlesex-London riding.[6] She won 1,092 votes, representing 2.49% of the votes cast, losing to Rob Flack.[7]
At the October 2022 Public Order Emergency Commission, commission lawyer Stephen Armstrong stated Belton vented her frustration via her TikTok feed before using the platform to connect with Chris Barber and then later initiating the planning of the Canada convoy protest.[1][8] Armstrong said that Belton, Chris Barber, and James Bauder all took part in a Facebook Live event on 13 January 2022, to plan the protest's route and logistics.[1] The next day, Tamara Lich started the fundraiser for the protest.[1]
Belton stated the mainstream media did not depict the protesters accurately.[9] She stated she is not against vaccinations, but is against vaccination mandates, as she believes people should be able to make this health choice for themselves.[9] She questioned the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccinations.[9]
Belton was one of the first witnesses to testify at the Public Order Emergency Commission.[8] During her testimony she questioned how fellow protest leader Lich would spend money raised to support the convoy protest,[8] and was critical of a decision to buy a decommissioned church in Ottawa.[10] In July 2022, Belton's social media connected Lich to the pending purchase of Saint Brigid's Church in Ottawa, which was being occupied by The United People of Canada.[11]
Electoral history
[edit]| 2022 Ontario general election: Elgin—Middlesex—London | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Rob Flack | 22,369 | 51.08 | −4.38 | $91,316 | |||
| New Democratic | Andy Kroeker | 7,973 | 18.21 | −13.86 | $40,974 | |||
| Liberal | Heather Jackson | 7,618 | 17.40 | +10.09 | $24,316 | |||
| New Blue | Matt Millar | 2,238 | 5.11 | $11,355 | ||||
| Green | Amanda Stark | 2,043 | 4.67 | +0.82 | $3,085 | |||
| Ontario Party | Brigitte Belton | 1,092 | 2.49 | $7,006 | ||||
| Freedom | Dave Plumb | 261 | 0.60 | +0.07 | $0 | |||
| Consensus Ontario | Malichi Malé | 197 | 0.45 | $0 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 43,791 | 99.46 | +0.44 | $137,656 | ||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 236 | 0.54 | -0.44 | |||||
| Turnout | 44,027 | 44.78 | -14.67 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 97,075 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | +4.74 | ||||||
Source(s)
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See also
[edit]- Pat King (activist), b. 1977
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e MacCharles, Tonda; Ballingall, Alex (13 October 2022). "How one trucker's TikTok video turned into the 'Freedom Convoy,' according to inquiry lawyers". thestar.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Tasker, John Paul (1 November 2022). "Convoy inquiry hears of death threat against Freeland as organizer describes 'power struggle' among protesters". CBC.
- ^ "Convoi de la liberté : des organisateurs évoquent des "luttes de pouvoir" | Commission d'enquête sur l'état d'urgence". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). 1 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Our Candidates". Ontario Party - 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Brigitte Belton @gidget642". X. X formerly known as Twitter. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ "Ontario Party candidate for EML vows to keep on trucking for freedom". 94.1 St.ThomasToday.ca. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "PC Rob Flack wins in Elgin—Middlesex—London". thestar.com. 2 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Laura Osman, Laura; Taylor, Stephanie; Fraser, David (1 November 2022). "'Power struggle' made it hard to manage 'Freedom Convoy,' inquiry hears". thepeterboroughexaminer.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Flood, Brian (8 February 2022). "Freedom Convoy organizer 'downright disgusted' by media coverage, American trucker blasts 'disconnected' press". Fox News. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "'Unorganized chaos': Power struggles played out among 'Freedom Convoy' organizers, inquiry hears". thestar.com. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Deachman, Bruce (29 July 2022). "Backer behind St. Brigid's property purchase all about love and inclusion, wants to open 'mini Disney World'". ottawacitizen. Retrieved 5 November 2022.