Courtesy of the Government of Alberta

By Justin Goulet

May 10-23

Deal struck between Alberta and Montana to vaccinate truck drivers

May 7, 2021 | 10:52 AM

Truck drivers crossing the Alberta-Montana border will be getting their COVID-19 vaccine thanks to a new partnership between the province and state.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced on Friday that truck drivers who must cross the border for work purposes, transporting essential goods, will benefit from the surplus of vaccine supplies from Montana.

Kenney explained that as part of this program, drivers will get the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. Drivers will not have to book ahead to get their vaccine.

The initiative will start on Monday, May 10 and will take place at a rest stop near Conrad, Montana.

The Premier noted the program will come at no cost to Albertans, as the U.S. government will cover the cost of providing and administering vaccines.

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Kenney said that, “we’re [the province] confident that many truckers will pull over, roll up their sleeves and get their jab as they travel back and forth between our province and Montana.”

“This program is similar to other agreements reached between the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan with the state of North Dakota to vaccinate truck drivers and other workers.”

About 2,000 Alberta truck drivers are eligible to be vaccinated under the program and approximately 800 commercial carriers cross the Alberta-Montana border at the Coutts Broder Crossing each day.

Premier Kenney added, “I want to close by thanking the truckers who have driven thousands of kilometres and worked day in and day out to ensure that our communities have the food, medicine and vital goods throughout the pandemic over the past year.”

“I also want to pause to say thank you to the Blackfeet Nation in northern Montana for having provided, I believe, up to a thousand vaccines on short notice to Albertans on occasions when they’ve had a surplus; first of all helping to inoculate their brothers and sisters in the Blackfoot Nation in Alberta, but then also some members of the general public from Alberta. It was a really wonderful and gracious gesture on their part.”

The service will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day until May 23.