Government officials and an indigenous group in British Columbia have reached a tentative deal on a gas pipeline, the subject of protests which led to blockades of rail lines across Canada. While one blockade remains in place, Canadian National has begun recalling workers laid off during the protests, while VIA Rail Canada expects to restore most service this week.
Reuters reports the deal involving provincial and federal ministers would allow pipeline construction to continue but would address future land-rights disputes. The Wet’suwet’en First Nations group, whose protests over the pipeline sparked the blockades, will now review the deal, which should take about two weeks.
Despite the deal, Mohawk protesters in Kahnawake, Quebec, said they would continue to maintain their three-week-old blockade of Canadian Pacific tracks, saying there was likely to be a meeting at some point today to determine its future, the Montreal Gazette reports.
Meanwhile, CN, which had laid off 450 workers while shutting down some operations in Eastern Canada, told customers in an email sent Friday that it would start bringing back some workers, Reuters reported. It did not specify how many were being brought back.
VIA Rail Canada announced Friday evening that most of its services would resume this week, including Montreal-Toronto and Ottawa-Toronto services on Tuesday, March 3; Senneterre-Jonquiere, Quebec, service on Wednesday, March 4; the westbound Canadian on Wednesday, March 4; and the eastbound Canadian on Friday, March 6. As of Friday, 940 trains had been cancelled with more than 164,000 passengers affected.
Between Canadian protests and dramatic travel cutbacks in the US over coronavirus, are we seeing a transformation in mobility?
Yep, follow the money coming into Canada from the US group “Tides Foundation”, interesting reading.
Hey Mike. Just a reminder. If I recall, 2 coal union groups successfully block a couple coal trains out east. Not sure if it was CSX or NS or both. But the trains didn’t run over. So it happens in the US to.
Follow the money trail & that’ll give you an idea of the deal they made. Money always talks. I’ll bet future pipeline permits on FN land will cost a lot more.
I guess Canada doesn’t have the same interstate commerce rules we have here. Block a train in the US get arrested or run the hell over. Step out In front of my train. I DARE YOU!!!!!
Would be interesting to see what the whole deal entails.
So Justin made a deal that isn’t a deal. Who would have thunk it, eh?
One coal train on the Pan Am heading for Bow, NH ran right through a terrorist’s line of protestor and kept on moving I’m told.