(Canadian National Railway Company/Facebook)

By paNOW Staff

protest

CN shuts down eastern rail network, FSIN and Hoback weigh in

Feb 13, 2020 | 5:09 PM

Canadian National Railway Co. says it must shut down its entire train network in Eastern Canada due to protesters blockades.

The company says that means stopping all transcontinental trains across its Canadian network and it may lead to temporary layoffs for eastern Canadian staff.

Via Rail says that also means shutting all its passenger service in Canada, which mostly uses CN track.

CN Rail says in a statement it has sought and obtained court orders and requested the assistance of enforcement agencies for the blockades in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.

It says while the blockades have been dismantled in Manitoba and may be ending imminently in B.C., the court order in Ontario has yet to be enforced and continues to be ignored.

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Protesters across Canada have said they’re acting in solidarity with those opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which crosses the traditional territories of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in northern B.C.

FSIN support

In a media release issued Wednesday the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Executive said it stood in support of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in British Columbia.

“Our ancestral lands belong to our First Nations people. The lands are ours to protect and preserve for future generations,” says FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “We must stand up for the protection of our lands and waters so that our children and grandchildren will know who they are and where they came from. First Nations pride and identity are also intertwined with our love and protection of Mother Earth.

“The Wet’suwet’en people are fighting for what is right and we fully support them. Our First Nations Inherent and Treaty lands are ours to protect. We condemn any acts of violence and urge peace in the Wet’suwet’en territory.”

Hoback says blockades threaten livelihoods

The MP for Prince Albert, Randy Hoback, who is shadow minister for International Trade, issued a statement Thursday labelling the blockades illegal and a threat to Canadians’ livelihoods.

“The rail blockades our country is experiencing are illegal and dangerous,” he said. “More than $300 billion worth of goods are transported over our rail lines every year and right now our farmers cannot get their product to market.

“Our entire export chain is being halted by a group of protesters who are against the Wet’suwet’en community’s support for the Coastal Gaslink project. This is unacceptable.”

Hoback said the blockades were harming Canada’s reputation as a stable and viable trading partner around the globe and the rule of law in Canada must be respected.

With files from The Canadian Press

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow