Estevan – Ken Mehler is going to Ottawa, part of the Yellow Vest truck convoy that will pass through eastern Saskatchewan on Feb. 15.
But he wanted his pickup to really get the message out that we need pipelines, so he went to Dynamic Signs Inc. in Estevan. They decaled his truck up, alright, but wouldn’t take anything for it.
“It’s our way of contributing, to bring awareness,” said Linda Gudmunson, co-owner of Dynamic Signs. “They say it affects us indirectly. It affects us directly. This has affected us tremendously.”
She noted, “We’re treading water.”
Mehler is not a very shy guy, and his truck is going to reinforce that point. After all, why take part in a convoy if not to be noticed?
On Jan. 18, he said, “We’re going to Ottawa to help protest. We’ve been to Estevan and Regina with the trucks, now we’re going to Ottawa with this one.
“Dynamic Signs did it. It looks great. Stands out.
“We have to go do something, because the oil industry, coal industry is in the toilet. The treehuggers in B.C., the natives across Canada are all standing up, crying about pipelines. If we don’t do something, as pipeliners, as oil people, we’re going to get snowballed under by them. That’s probably the main reason I joined to go to Ottawa. It’s just time to stand up.”
Ken Mehler is 69, and his cousin, Guy Mehler, who will be riding with him, is the same age. These protests are the first time in his life Ken has felt the urge to take part. Guy is a welder. Ken is a partner in KRJ Custom Fabricating, which specializes in custom tool boxes and decks, and Pongo Holdings, a company which provides water for fracking.
He’s considering putting a sign in the back of the truck, saying the CBC and CTV are “Trudeau’s puppets.”
The Mehlers are going to meet at the local rally point at Fast Trucking Service’s yard, at Carnduff. They will be leaving the Fast yard early in the morning of Feb. 15 and joining the convoy at Virden, heading eastbound on the TransCanada Highway. The convoy is expected to arrive in Ottawa on Feb. 18, with Feb. 19 being a flexible day should the convoy be delayed.
