Trucker convoy GoFundMe suspended after reaching $10.1 million
Trucker convoy GoFundMe suspended after reaching $10.1 million
GoFundMe has suspended a fundraiser for the “Freedom Convoy” of truckers and supporters who have tied up downtown Ottawa while protesting vaccine mandates.
The fundraiser, which is now under review, has currently raised more than $10 million. It’s the second time GoFundMe has suspended access to the money.
“This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations,” said a pinned post from GoFundMe at the top of the fundraiser on Wednesday night. “Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience.”
Funds were frozen by GoFundMe the first time in mid-January when the funds were at $4.5 million. At the time, GoFundMe stated that they needed more detail on how funds would be allocated. Last Thursday, an initial $1 million was released to the organizers by GoFundMe after they received a plan for the money’s distribution to truckers to cover the cost of gas for the Parliament Hill protest.
By Tuesday, as it reached $9.5 million, the fundraiser had been declared the second-largest in Canada, smaller only than the fundraiser created for the Humboldt Broncos in 2018.
The Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser states in its description that money will go towards paying for the cost of the truckers’ journey to Ottawa, including fuel, food and shelter, with leftover funds being given to “a credible Veterans organization which will be chosen by the donors.”
Although the initial stated goals of the convoy were to protest vaccine mandates that required travellers including truckers to be fully vaccinated in order to cross the U.S. border without quarantining, the protest has expanded to protesting other COVID-19 regulations such as wearing masks.
Ottawa residents and city councillors have called for more to be done to end the convoy’s occupation of the city’s downtown after days of honking.
Some have called for the feds to step in and send the RCMP to get the trucks moving again.
Earlier on Wednesday, city councilor and chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board Diane Deans suggested that Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau get in touch with GoFundMe and convince them to block protesters’ access to the millions that had been raised.
"They're funding these mercenaries and that funding stream needs to get cut off," Deans said.
China's military rebuked the United States and Canada for 'deliberately provoking risk' after the countries' navies staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
New study finds increase in antipsychotic drugs use in long-term care homes across Canada, despite no significant increase in behavioural symptoms – something that may expose a potential area of concern for quality of care, researchers say.
Heavy rain and some military reinforcements arrived to assist efforts on Saturday to quell the wildfires that have destroyed homes and caused the evacuation of thousands of people across Nova Scotia.
Another northern Quebec town was evacuated due to an out of control wildfire on Saturday as the federal government confirmed that Canadian Forces personnel would be deployed to help combat forest fires in the province.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the process to sell the Ottawa Senators is moving forward as "quickly as possible," and the New York-based company overseeing the sale is advising to "expect a very good outcome in the next few weeks."
The U.S. Ambassador to Canada says America 'absolutely wants to have it both ways' when it comes to fighting climate change while pursuing fossil fuel projects.
Post tropical storm Fiona showed how quickly Canadians can be displaced by climate change. W5 looks into whether more people living in vulnerable areas will have to consider moving in the years to come.
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars.
W5 Producer Shelley Ayres explains how she was in awe to meet what the Guinness Book of World Record's has named the World's Tallest Teenager, a 17-year-old from Quebec who plays for Team Canada.
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
Gordie Sampson has written hit songs for some of the biggest names in country music, including Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. CTV W5 speaks with the Grammy winner from small-town Nova Scotia about his creative process.
Toronto police say the five suspects involved in a stabbing at Kennedy Station Friday night that left a man in critical condition are between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the process to sell the Ottawa Senators is moving forward as "quickly as possible," and the New York-based company overseeing the sale is advising to "expect a very good outcome in the next few weeks."
A day of action held across Ontario saw the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) taking aim at a number of issues impacting community members, such as the cost of living.
Todd Edginton could hardly believe his eyes when he looked out his back door to find a wind turbine on fire. He wasn’t alone, as people stopped just north of Goderich to see the spectacle unfold.
Heavy rain and some military reinforcements arrived to assist efforts on Saturday to quell the wildfires that have destroyed homes and caused the evacuation of thousands of people across Nova Scotia.
It was a historic day in Manitoba. From across Canada, an estimated 4,000 Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) citizens showed up in person or online for an extraordinary general assembly.
Winnipegger Howie Prociuk was on a father/son trip south of the border to see the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis last month, when a funny thought occurred to him.
Experts say 1,500 recently announced job losses at Suncor Energy Inc. are an example of the type of "collateral damage" that can occur when an activist investor comes calling.
The Young Master Club celebrated its 16th anniversary with a Taekwondo festival at the Alberta Avenue Community League, where students showcased their techniques.
Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canada is committed to the support of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and is reinforcing its military presence in the region.
Jenny Kwan has been outspoken against human-rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party and often advocates for the country's Uyghur Muslim minority. The Hong Kong-born member of Parliament said in an interview with The Canadian Press that that's what made her an 'evergreen' target of the Chinese government.
New study finds increase in antipsychotic drugs use in long-term care homes across Canada, despite no significant increase in behavioural symptoms – something that may expose a potential area of concern for quality of care, researchers say.
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Racial bias built into a common medical test for lung function is likely leading to fewer Black patients getting care for breathing problems, a study published Thursday suggests.
Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, told Reuters on Thursday that she has resigned from the social media company, which has faced criticism for lax protections against harmful content since billionaire Elon Musk acquired it in October.
Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country's oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans' hominin ancestors. The find announced Thursday would drag the dawn of Greek archaeology back by as much as a quarter of a million years, although older hominin sites have been discovered elsewhere in Europe. The oldest, in Spain, dates to more than a million years ago.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, director Christopher Nolan offers a guide to his favourite formats, explaining why it matters and even where he likes to sit so that audiences don't feel like they need a film school degree (or one in theoretical physics) before settling on a theatre.
Walt Disney's Pixar Animation Studios has eliminated 75 positions including those of two executives behind box office disappointment 'Lightyear,' sources said on Saturday, the first significant job cuts at the studio in a decade.
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the process to sell the Ottawa Senators is moving forward as "quickly as possible," and the New York-based company overseeing the sale is advising to "expect a very good outcome in the next few weeks."
Zach Whitecloud scored from long-range with just over 13 minutes left, after Adin Hill made arguably the best save of the playoffs, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 Saturday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.
Bianca Andreescu was eliminated from the French Open after losing to Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, in the third round on Saturday.
America apparently needs more car seats. So, when Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Buzz, a retro-styled electric van, last year, it noted that the version for the North American market would be longer and would have three rows of seats.
