MONTREAL -- Full weekday Via Rail service between Montreal and Ottawa will resume starting Monday, Feb. 24, Via Rail announced on Friday.
The company's service between Montreal and Quebec City was still cancelled until at least Sunday, Feb. 23, due to a protest in St-Lambert, south of Montreal. Protesters, however, appeared on Friday night to be dismantling their camp on the tracks. Trains also couldn't pass between Toronto and Montreal due to a rail blockade near Belleville, Ont.
The protests are in support of the Wet'suwet'en, an Indigenous community in Northern BC whose hereditary chiefs object to the passage of a pipeline through their traditional territory. Elected chiefs have signalled their support for the pipeline.
Other than routes in Southern Ontario and the soon-to-be-reopened Montreal to Ottawa route, all Via Rail's other service was still cancelled until further notice.
"As of February 21, 691 trains have been cancelled because of the blockades. More than 123 000 passengers have been affected," the company stated.
