Estevan 鈥� 聽While she鈥檒l likely refuse to take credit for it, Trisha Meshke definitely deserves that credit as the unsung hero for being the glue that kept the organization of the Regina Rally Against the Carbon Tax convoy together.
That鈥檚 because it was her phone number from the get-go that was receiving all the phone calls and texts for registrations coming in. That phone, as well as several others, were all ringing off the hook on April 3, the day before the convoy was about to roll.
Talking to her in her office at KRJ Custom Fabricating at 4:20 p.m., Pipeline Newsasked her what the day has been like.
鈥淚nsane!鈥� was the response. 鈥淭oday has been insane. It鈥檚 non-stop. I have two lines on the office phone. I have my cellphone. I have Ken鈥檚 phone, and they鈥檙e ringing off the hook. Text messages, emails, calls. It鈥檚 not stopping.
鈥淵esterday was actually the calm before the storm. I had time to get caught up with all the registrations. Today, it is overly busy, which is a good thing 鈥� see there鈥檚 another call right now. And there鈥檚 a call on another line.鈥�
She had to pause for a minute as more calls came in. She dutifully entered them into her spreadsheet. By that point, the running total was 645. It would grow to nearly 700 the next day. 聽聽
Asked how many calls came in on April 3, she said, 鈥淥ver 100. Over 100, for sure. If they鈥檙e not registering, they鈥檙e calling, asking questions, and I鈥檓 referring them back to our Twitter and Facebook accounts.鈥�
She lifted up her phone, and it indicated 13 texts of unknown names that she had not been able to respond to yet. 鈥淭hey started as early as 7:30 this morning. I鈥檝e been calling them back. These are new ones,鈥� Meshke said. 鈥淎s recent as 4:22, 3:47, 3:29.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e had calls at six in the morning, saying, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檓 just wondering what the plan is. I might not be able to make it. I鈥檓 calving,鈥� Then why are you calling me at six in the morning if you鈥檙e calving?鈥�
Asked what the mix was of agriculture versus oil participation, she said, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 higher agriculture.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 been higher agriculture all along. I was keeping track at the beginning, but it got too busy. I would say 60/40,鈥� Meshke said.
Other organizers credited one of the big stories of the week for boosting late registrations. NDP Leader Ryan Meili took a run at rally organizer Jason LeBlanc in question period on April 1, saying he was associated with the yellow vest movement. (LeBlanc, in fact, had been the one in the early organizational meeting to stress 鈥淵ellow vests prohibited.鈥�)
Meili鈥檚 action riled a lot of other farmers, as LeBlanc is a well-known farmer and auctioneer. A column in Pipeline News in response had 12,700 views on April 2, and CJME/CKOM radio host John Gormley rode that issue all week long, getting LeBlanc on the air as the convoy was rolling into the city. Several organizers told Pipeline News that was the best publicity, and it was free. (LeBlanc鈥檚 ovation at the rally was louder that that for the premier).
Meili鈥檚 assertions that this was a yellow vest event without the yellow vests got under Meshke鈥檚 skin. She said she had to get away from Twitter and Facebook. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 be a keyboard warrior right now,鈥� she noted, as she was focused on the registrations.
At the rally, Meshke reported that her phone continued to ring that morning as the convoy was coming together. People still wanted to register. At that point, she told them just to show up and join at the end.
