Attention Canada, a freedom convoy reunion is currently being planned..That's the message one man is spreading on the internet.."All nationwide convoy routes are to arrive in the Ottawa area by Thursday, February 17, 2023," the founder of Canada Unity James Bauder said.."Team Canada will have four solid days of events planned," Bauder said.."For those that can't come, please consider helping someone else who wants to attend.".Bauder was arrested February 20 in Ottawa by police at the last convoy..He's facing charges of mischief to obstruct property, disobeying a lawful court order, and obstructing a peace officer. He was released under a condition not to return to downtown Ottawa.."The simple fact is we can't have unity without reconciliation which has to come from, we the people " and not from "our government," Bauder wrote in a Facebook post.."Let's be grown-ups and start addressing the root of division, discrimination, and segregation in Canada by changing our focus away from division to that of one word unity.".An Ottawa police spokesperson told CTV News the service is aware of Bauder's Facebook post.."The Ottawa Police Service is aware of information posted to social media channels," the spokesperson said in an email to CTV News.."The Ottawa Police continually monitors for upcoming events, protests, and demonstrations that may impact the city. Once identified we plan accordingly in a collaborative manner with our city partners and other agencies."."I've been talking to the police in Ottawa, and we're not going to do an event in the city," Bauder told the Western Standard via phone on Thursday.."We're taking notes, we're observing, and then we're also communicating with the police. We will be looking at doing a unity festival outside. That is going to be focus and we will promote the 'bear hug theme' this year. It's the olive branch edition.".Bauder said the freedom convoy reunion will focus on reconciliation and unity and he plans to make it an annual event to bring Canada together.."We are going to focus on bridging the gaps and on coming together. The reconciliation process needs to happen if we want unity in our communities. We can't unless we start with that reconciliation," Bauder said.."We will focus on unity and really drive that one word. We're going to hopefully if time permits, get a scholarship up for kids to apply for across Canada.".But for now, Bauder said he's focused on putting together three things for the freedom convoy reunion.."One is our work geared around unity. Second, there is going to be music geared around unity. And third, we'll be writing geared around unity so that folks in our communities start focusing on unity and real unity and not just focusing on the talking about it, getting out there and doing things that are designed to bridge that gap," Bauder said..He will also be reaching out to Canadian doctors and asking them to join. Asking them to focus their speeches on medical discrimination and solutions for Canada's health care system..This will all commence on the outskirts of Ottawa.."We can't have a convoy in Ottawa, nor do we ever want to do a repeat of parking all our vehicles and everything else downtown, that's just not going to happen," Bauder said.."We are going to try to get everybody, all three convoy routes, to one place just outside of Ottawa. We plan to hold the entire reunion event there and for those that want to go into Parliament, we're working on trying to secure Parliament grounds to do some speeches, a candlelight vigil, and doing a march around the fallen soldier paying respect.".Bauder also noted that the convoy will take the original routes from last year, but logistics are still in the planning stage.."We will make that public announcement soon but there's no way in a million years we're going to repeat what happened in Ottawa last year," Bauder said..When the meet up location is finally secured, bouncy castles will be set up and there will be events for kids and family themed activities..There will also be plans to have tons of food.."We are going to contact food vendors from Toronto to Montreal to bring their food vending trucks so that we got all the foods and lots of different options for people," Bauder said..Bauder said official registration on www.canada-unity.com for the convoy will open in mid-December.
