Protestors block railway near Montreal in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs
Quebec protestors erected a blockade Saturday morning across a strip of Canadian National (CN) rail south of Montreal in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs in the midst of an ongoing standoff with the RCMP and a major oil and gas company in B.C.
The protestors described themselves in a Saturday press release as non-Indigenous "settler allies who stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples who are defending their territories from colonial violence and industrial destruction."
The protest began at 9:30 a.m. in Saint-Lambert, Que., a city on Montreal's South Shore. It was one of several protest actions in recent weeks -- a trend which will continue "for as long as the RCMP remains on the territory of the Wet’suwet’en and the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline continues” said one of the blockade participants, Marianne Côté, in the release.
CTV reached Côté while she was still on the tracks. She says spirits were high as the protest grew to a group of around 60 people. Signage and debris had been placed on the tracks, and a metal drum had been fashioned into a make-shift fireplace.
She said protesters saw several trains approach the blockade, stop, and hit reverse. CN said in a statement it was aware of the blockade, but did not specify whether it was disrupting service.
The Wet'suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who are the traditional leaders of the territory are standing in opposition of a pipeline being built by Coastal Gaslink, despite it being approved by the elected council. In November, Mounties in northern B.C. said they were enforcing an injunction barring protests from blocking an access road used by Coastal GasLink pipeline workers. Several people were arrested, including two journalists.
The 670-kilometre pipeline will transport natural gas from Northern B.C. Coastal Gaslink says construction is more than halfway done. Kahnawake, the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community also on Montreal's South Shore, held a rolling blockade in late-November on a prominant stretch of highway.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca