When a convoy of trucks passed through the Lower Mainland on Sunday, Jan. 23, heading for Ottawa to protest a vaccine mandate that requires cross-border drivers to be vaccinated, hundreds turned out along the route to show support, waving flags and signs.

Since the 鈥淔reedom Convoy鈥� was first announced, many have also contributed to a GoFundMe campaign, which had raised close to $4 million as of Monday.

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It was launched by Tamara Lich, secretary and member of the western Canadian governing council of the Alberta-based Maverick party, which has supported separation from Canada by the western provinces and creation of a 鈥渨estern nation.鈥�

On Monday, the party issued a statement saying it was .

Interim leader Jay Hill said 鈥渟ome Maverick members and supporters have chosen to support the convoy.鈥�

鈥淢averick does not support anti-vaccination but does support freedom-of-choice and a citizen鈥檚 right to decide what they do with their own bodies,鈥� Hill said.

鈥滾ike the majority of Canadians, most Maverick members have chosen to be vaccinated, some have not. Our party will not condemn either for their choice.鈥�

It included a statement by Lich, who said the convoy was 鈥渘ot about vax or anti-vax or covid. It is about restoring Canada鈥檚 rights and freedoms. Freedom to open businesses, freedom to hug your friends, go to restaurants and movies, etc.鈥�

In response to follow-up queries by the Langley Advance Times, party spokesperson Leah Murray said Lich was 鈥渧olunteering as an individual, completely separate from [the] Maverick Party.鈥�

Murray was asked if any of the funds raised by Lich were going to the party.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know who gets what鈥�Maverick Party is NOT involved on any level,鈥� Murray said.

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GoFundMe was reportedly reviewing the convoy campaign, but as of Monday afternoon, the company had not responded to a request for clarification, and neither had Lich.

On the Maverick party website, the biography of the Alberta-born Lich reports she had a career in the oil and gas industry before she joined the interim board for Wexit Alberta.

After a merger between Wexit Alberta and the Freedom Conservative party to create the Wildrose Independence Party, Lich joined the board of Wexit Canada, later renamed the y.

Maintaining what it calls a 鈥渢win-track鈥� policy, the party advocates separation from the rest of Canada 鈥� unless the federal government makes changes that include ending equalization payments from have- to have-not provinces, scrapping the carbon tax and changing to the constitution to restrict federal powers.

Meanwhile, the Langley-based (BCTA), in response to a Langley Advance Times query, issued a statement by president and CEO Dave Earle distancing the organization from the truckers in the convoy.

鈥淏CTA is not involved with nor supportive of the convoy in any manner,鈥� said Earle.

According to the BCTA website, association members operate about 16,000 vehicles, and employ over 26,000 people.

The Canadian Truck Alliance has also ,with president Stephen Laskowski saying the Alliance 鈥渟trongly disapproves鈥� of any protests on public roadways.

All truckers who cross the border from Canada into the U.S. must be vaccinated to avoid a 14-day quarantine under a new policy passed last Saturday (Jan. 15).