Ontario Premier Doug Ford was reportedly enjoying winter recreation in Muskoka as Ottawa endured what the Canadian government has described as an “insurrection,” the Freedom Convoy protesting against coronavirus restrictions and vaccine mandates.
Ford was photographed in a full winter suit and was spotted on the area’s snowmobile trail.
“Look who I bumped into snowmobiling on beautiful trails of Muskoka, Premier Doug Ford,” a Facebook user captioned the photo.
OTTAWA FREEDOM CONVOY: NONPROFIT SETS UP FREE LEGAL HOTLINE TO ASSIST TRUCKERS
Ford got into a testy exchange with a reporter Friday after CTV News published the photos purportedly showing the Canadian leader giving a thumbs-up while snowmobiling in the Muskoka area — more than four hours away from Ottawa — as protests were ongoing in the Canadian capital last Saturday.
Vehicles block roads in downtown Ottawa on the 14th day of demonstrations.
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
“You call it a ‘siege,’ Ottawa police said it was an ‘insurrection’ … can you explain why you decided to go snowmobiling during a stated insurrection and siege in Ottawa?” CTV News’ Collin D’Mello asked Ford moments after the Ontario leader declared a state of emergency over the demonstrations.
“Let me make it very clear, Colin. I’ve been on this phone almost 24/7 along with the premiers, U.S. ambassadors, the governor, the prime minister around the clock,” Ford replied. “Make no mistake, I have been engaged from the second this has happened, and I’ll be continuing being engaged with the authorities that we need to talk to.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Following the example of thousands of Canadians, truckers in other countries have begun organizing their own versions of the “Freedom Convoy.”
From Leeuwarden in the Netherlands to Wellington, New Zealand, to London to Canberra, Australia, truckers are hitting the road to send a clear message: Stop the mandates.
Another group of truckers is planning a protest in the United States, driving to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Fox News’s Greg Norman and Tyler O’Neil contributed to this report.
