Canadian National Railway Has Had Key Lines Shutdown For More Than A Week

[AbsolutSurgen]

Ottawa 'very concerned' about blockades as CN Rail says it will close 'significant' parts of its network

Quote

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says the federal Liberal government is "very concerned" about growing anti-pipeline protests that are crippling parts of the country's transport network, including one of the main rail arteries in southern Ontario.

J.J. Ruest, the president and CEO of CN Rail, said in a statement Tuesday the railway has no choice but to temporarily shutter "significant" parts of its network because blockades by Indigenous protesters near Belleville, Ont., and New Hazelton, B.C., have made train movements in the rest of the country all but impossible.

"We are currently parking trains across our network, but due to limited available space for such, CN will have no choice but to temporarily discontinue service in key corridors unless the blockades come to an end," Ruest said.

Ruest said the protests threaten industry across the country, including the transport of food and consumer items, grain, de-icing fluid at airports, construction materials, propane to Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and natural resources like lumber, aluminum and coal.

"These blockades will have a trickledown effect on consumer goods in the next few weeks," Ruest said.

Day ends quietly as Mohawk rail protests expand, trains remain stopped

Quote

The Mohawks set up the second camp early Wednesday ahead of an expected Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) raid that never came. 

The OPP told the demonstrators Tuesday that they would enforce a court order to clear the area. That was interpreted as a warning and the camp swelled with people who dug in and prepared for a raid. 

Minister offers to meet chiefs over cross-country anti-pipeline protests

Quote

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller has offered to meet with three Indigenous leaders, saying their protests against a pipeline in northern British Columbia are a volatile situation.

Via Rail has extended train cancellations on major routes in Ontario and Quebec. Passenger and freight rail services have been hit particularly hard by the protests as demonstrators erect barricades on lines in different parts of the country.

Blockade organizers across Canada have said they're acting in solidarity with those opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation near Houston, B.C.

 

Quote

Coastal GasLink says it has agreements with all 20 elected First Nations councils along the 670-kilometre route, but the hereditary chiefs in the Wet'suwet'en First Nation say they have title to a vast section of the land and never relinquished that by signing a treaty.

Without their consent, the project cannot be built, they say, and they've repeatedly gone to court to stop it -- without success.

 

In summary, last week the RCMP enforced a court order to remove protestors (both those of aboriginal and non-aboriginal descent) that were preventing a natural gas pipeline from being constructed.  The pipeline had approval from all of the elected chiefs and band councils, but several hereditary chiefs (i.e. chiefs that have had their position passed down from father-to-son or mother-to-daughter similar to a monarchy) have claimed that they need to approve the pipeline as well -- though they have continually lost this argument in court.

 

As a result, groups of sympathetic protestors (some aboriginal, some not) have blocked Canadian railways in a number of places.  As a result, there is no way for a significant amount of Canadian good to get to port for export, or from port to the rest of the country.  As a reference, this is what CN's railway network looks like in Canada.

 

There really has been a complete lack of leadership from Prime Minister Trudeau -- Liberal - (who is in Sengal lobbying for votes for Canada to get a seat on the UN Security council), Transport Minister Marc Garneau -- Liberal, Indigenous Services  Minister Marc Miller - Liberal, Ontario Premier Doug Ford -- Conservative and BC Premier John Horgan -- NDP.  The fact that the Canadian rail network has effectively been shutdown for over a week should be a complete embarrassment to all of them, and so far there has been sense of urgency on their part to get freight moving again.

 

[CitizenVectron]

I guess the first question is: what do you think the solution should be? Use violence to arrest the protestors? Or acknowledge the claim that some Indigenous groups are making? I don't think there is a middle-ground.

 

Unfortunately, Canada is very racist and any action that doesn't end in complete removal of the protests will not be received well by the public.

 

I look forward to lots of takes like "yeah we took their continent, but they don't pay taxes now and should get over it. I work hard, so can they!"

[AbsolutSurgen]

1 minute ago, CitizenVectron said:

I guess the first question is: what do you think the solution should be? Use violence to arrest the protestors? Or acknowledge the claim that some Indigenous groups are making? I don't think there is a middle-ground.

 

Unfortunately, Canada is very racist and any action that doesn't end in complete removal of the protests will not be received well by the public.

 

I look forward to lots of takes like "yeah we took their continent, but they don't pay taxes now and should get over it. I work hard, so can they!"

As far as I can tell, no Canadian political leader has sat down with any of the elected chiefs of any of the tribes, to try and resolve the issue.

I live in a society where people are expected to obey the rule of law.  Disputes about the law are settled by the courts.  If a court order has been issued, it is the responsibility of the government to enforce it.  First through negotiation.  Second through the peaceful arrest of those who violate the court order, and finally if they resist arrest, police should use the least amount of force as possible.  This should be done whether the protestors are of aboriginal descent, English descent, French descent, Ukrainian descent, Irish descent, Chinese descent, Sikh descent, etc.  As far as I can tell, the Trudeau government hasn't done anything.

 

Complete removal of illegal protests should be the goal -- and that isn't racist.  Legal, peaceful protests should continue -- but those don't include blocking railways or highways for extended periods of time.

 

Just like any other group of people, indigenous Canadians have a variety of opinions --- there will never be any way to gain unanimous consent of every individual for every action.  If tribe members are unhappy about the decisions their elected tribal leaders have made, they should elect different leaders in the next election, not block railways.

[CayceG]

There's no such thing as an illegal protest. 

 

 

 

[Ghost_MH]

39 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Complete removal of illegal protests should be the goal -- and that isn't racist.  Legal, peaceful protests should continue -- but those don't include blocking railways or highways for extended periods of time.

 

Just like any other group of people, indigenous Canadians have a variety of opinions --- there will never be any way to gain unanimous consent of every individual for every action.  If tribe members are unhappy about the decisions their elected tribal leaders have made, they should elect different leaders in the next election, not block railways.

 

If the goal is to stop something that is already in the middle of happening, disruptive protests are the only way to make sure that something stops. There's no better way for citizens to exert their immediate will on the government short of actual violence. In the US, if protests against Trump were actually disruptive, the GOP might have questioned their undying support. However, yes, getting permits for protests that are ignored in the press and dedicating a hashtag to it will force immediate change.

[AbsolutSurgen]

17 minutes ago, CayceG said:

There's no such thing as an illegal protest. 

 

 

 

Canadians are allowed to protest peacefully.  An illegal protest is one that:

1)  Involves violence (i.e. if I protested by running down Yonge and punching people in the face, that would be illegal)

2)  One that is classified as a "riot"

3)  One that disturbs the peace (i.e. I cannot drive through a residential neighbourhood at 1AM playing a speech at 140 dB)

4) One that unreasonably blocks a roadway or thoroughfare (I cannot decide to pitch a tent at the corner of Yonge and Front, and decide to live there for a month)

As in any free and democratic society, if there is a court order demonstrating that a protest is illegal, the government has an obligation to enforce it.

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

No 'legal' protest has accomplished a damn thing

[AbsolutSurgen]

VIA Rail cancels trains across Canada, CN shuts down Eastern Canada network amid pipeline protests

Quote

Via Rail is cancelling its entire passenger train network across the country until further notice due to ongoing pipeline protests.

The company said Thursday afternoon that it “has no other option” than to cancel all train service effective immediately. Via Rail passengers with bookings will receive automatic refunds.

“We understand the impact this unfortunate situation has on our passengers and regret the significant inconvenience this is causing to their travel,” Via Rail said in a statement.

The nationwide shutdown comes as CN Rail says it is being forced to progressively shut down its operations in Eastern Canada “until the illegal blockades end.” The company said that also means stopping all transcontinental trains across its Canadian network.

“With over 400 trains cancelled during the last week and new protests that emerged at strategic locations on our mainline, we have decided that a progressive shutdown of our Eastern Canadian operations is the responsible approach to take for the safety of our employees and the protestors,” CN Rail CEO JJ Ruest said in a statement issued Thursday.

Ruest added that commuter rail link services such as Metrolinx and Exo can continue operating “so long as they can do so safely.”

Protesters have shut down rail traffic across the country, including the busy corridor between Toronto-Montreal and Ottawa-Toronto. In B.C., service is being disrupted between Prince Rupert and Prince George.

CN Rail said it has sought and obtained court orders and requested help from enforcement agencies for the blockades in Ontario, Manitoba and B.C. It says that, while the blockades have ended in Manitoba and may be “imminently” ending in B.C., the court orders in Ontario “continue to be ignored.”

Protest organizers say they are standing up against the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation near Houston, B.C.

The protests began last week after the RCMP enforced a court injunction against Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and their supporters. The group had been halting construction of the pipeline, a major piece of a $40-billion LNG Canada liquefied natural gas export project.

 

Federal minister, B.C. premier try for meetings with chiefs over blockades

Quote

The federal and British Columbia governments are working to arrange meetings with Indigenous leaders in an effort to halt blockades of rail lines that have choked Canada's economy.

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller wrote a letter to three individuals in Ontario regarding a protest on Tyendinaga Mohawk traditional territory that has halted freight and passenger traffic between Toronto and Montreal. He offered to meet at a location of their choice on Saturday.

"My request, that I ask you kindly to consider, is to discontinue the protest and barricade of the train tracks as soon as practicable. As you well know, this is a highly volatile situation and the safety of all involved is of the utmost importance to me," Miller said in the email, a copy of which he posted publicly Thursday morning.

"I hope you will agree to this request and that we can meet in the spirit of peace and co-operation that should guide our relationship."

Tyendinaga Mohawk Chief Donald Maracle, one of the three recipients of the letter, said he expects the meeting will take place but he can't comment on Miller's request to end the blockade because it wasn't initiated by council.

"We're happy that he's agreed to come," Maracle said. "We need to allow the discussion to take place."

Horgan also publicly released a letter Thursday addressed to Simogyet Spookw, who also goes by Norman Stephens, a chief of the Gitxsan Nation. In the letter, the premier thanked the chief for reaching out to his office to propose a meeting with hereditary chiefs of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Nation over a rail blockade in New Hazelton, B.C.

"I confirm our government's willingness to participate in such a meeting," Horgan said. "I understand that on receipt of this letter and a similar commitment from Canada, the blockade of the CN line will be removed to allow for a period of calm and peaceful dialogue."

Protest organizers across Canada have said they're acting in solidarity with those opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation near Houston, B.C.

Blockades were erected after the RCMP enforced a court injunction last week against Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and their supporters, who had been stopping construction of the pipeline, a key part of a $40-billion LNG Canada liquefied natural gas export project.

B.C. Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser said he will represent the provincial government at the meeting with Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en chiefs.

"The discussion with Chief Stephens is that, with an agreement to this meeting, there will be a stand down on the blockade," he said. "That's heartening."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also responded to the letter and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett will attend the meeting in B.C., the prime minister's office said.

Stephens did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The meeting arrangements come after the Assembly of First Nations and Opposition politicians urged the Liberal government to take swifter and firmer action to defuse tensions over the pipeline.

Via Rail has cancelled service on its Montreal-Toronto and Ottawa-Toronto routes until at least the end of the day on Friday because of the Mohawk blockade near Belleville, Ont.

Via has also said the blockade near New Hazelton means normal rail service is being interrupted between Prince Rupert and Prince George.

Ian Boxall, vice-president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, said the rail blockades are affecting almost every commodity.

Boxall said dozens of ships in Vancouver are waiting to be loaded, while eight await shipments in Prince Rupert.

In Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister said the Justice Department will seek an injunction to end a rail blockade west of Winnipeg and have it enforced within a few days.

Protesters in Vancouver occupied the office of B.C. Attorney General David Eby on Thursday to demand the immediate removal of RCMP and Coastal GasLink from Wet'suwet'en territory.

"Today's crisis ... is yet another flashpoint that reveals the inherent injustice embedded in the uneven and unequal relationship between the Canadian government and Indigenous Nations," said protester Natalie Knight in a statement.

Days after hundreds of people blocked the entrances to the B.C. legislature and chanted "shame" at politicians trying to get inside, the head of the B.C. civil service sent an email to employees cautioning that another protest may occur on Friday.

Don Wright wrote that staff may have heard protesters are planning to "shut down" as many ministries as possible. He said the civil service has developed a flexible plan to maintain as much service to the public as possible.

"Please ensure that your safety and that of your colleagues is your first priority," he said. "We will not ask public servants to put themselves into any situation where they do not feel safe."

Meanwhile, two hereditary chiefs from the Wet'suwet'en First Nation have launched a constitutional challenge of fossil-fuel projects.

The challenge calls on the Federal Court to declare that Canada is constitutionally obliged to meet international climate-change targets, which the chiefs contend would cancel approvals for the Coastal GasLink line.

Coastal GasLink says it has agreements with all 20 elected First Nations councils along the 670-kilometre route, but the hereditary chiefs in the Wet'suwet'en First Nation say they have title to a vast section of the land and never relinquished that by signing a treaty.

Without their consent, the project cannot be built, they say, and they've repeatedly gone to court to stop it -- without success.

 

It's embarrassing that the Canadian government didn't try and set up these meetings a week ago -- and that Justin Trudeau isn't personally involved.

[Chadatog]

I mean can you blame them, I think they are afraid of Trudeau arriving in a headdress.