The state of Montana is stepping up to help Alberta vaccinate truck drivers who are crossing the international border, delivering goods each and every day.
Alberta Transportation Minister Ric McIver said the province and state have signed a deal which will have a big impact on truckers coming into Canada south of Coutts.
“Around 2,000 Alberta truckers will be able to get vaccinated across the U.S. border at Conrad, Montana between May 10th to 23rd. It’s one part of our vaccine strategy, but we think it’s an important one,” McIver said Friday.
Alberta truckers will be provided with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a rest-stop location in Conrad.
It’s estimated about 800 commercial carriers cross the Alberta-Montana border at Coutts alone each day.
Another thing to note is that truck drivers don’t have to pre-book to get the vaccine. They can just simply pull into that rest-stop, get the jab, and carry on their way.
McIver stressed that truckers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep our goods moving and shelves stocked.
“This agreement with our American neighbours will help us protect Alberta truckers who cross the border while vaccinating as many Albertans as quickly as we can.”
There’s no cost to Alberta for the vaccinations.
At this time, there is no agreement in place for B.C. and Montana to follow through with the same initiative.
*** Story by Patrick Siedlecki ***
