Blockade supporting Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs continues to halt rail traffic in northwestern B.C.

A protest near New Hazelton, B.C., in support of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs, is blocking CN Rail's main line through the northern part of the province, haltingtransportbetween Prince George and Prince Rupert.

CN says the B.C. blockade in protest of a natural gas pipeline being built on traditional Wet'suwet'en territory and blockades happening in eastern Canada, are forcing them to close "significant" parts of their rail system across the country, with nearly 200 trainsaffected.

J.J. Ruest, president and CEO of CN Rail,said in a statement Tuesday that CNhas obtained court injunctions that allow police to remove the protesters so that rail traffic can resume.

ViaRail announced Tuesday evening that rail travel between Prince Rupert and Prince George has been halted until further notice.

Blockades in B.C. and Ontario have caused 157 Viatrains to be cancelled, leaving 24,000 passengers in the lurch so far.

A spokesperson for ViaRail said passengers whose trips have been cancelled will be contacted by email and will receive a full refund.

Meanwhile,Coastal GasLink announced its workers will be returning to workthis week in the injunction area, after 28 arrestswere made to clear access to the site.

However, work remains severely disruptedat the Port of Prince Rupert, where freight is no longer able to get in and out by train due to theblockade on the railtracks near New Hazelton.

Shaun Stevenson, CEO of the Port of Prince Rupert, said even though their port is not involved with theCoastal GasLink project, its operations and workforce have been heavily impacted by the blockade that's been in place since Saturday afternoon.

"The unintended consequences is it severely impacted the operations of the Port of Prince Rupert and we're very concerned about our ability to continue to operate and offer the service that [has contributed] to our growth and success as a port," he said.

Stevenson said 40 per cent of the workforce at the port is Indigenous, and 3,600 jobs are directlybeing affected in Prince Rupert, Terrace andSmithers.

He added that he hopes a resolution can be reached peacefully and operations can start again soon.

"We have in excess of 6,000 people that rely on the Port of Prince Rupert, its operations and its modes and nodes of transportation, for their livelihood in northern B.C.," he toldCBCDaybreak Northhost Carolina de Ryk.

"The economic vitality of northern B.C. depends on the port."

In Dawson Creek,Kathleen Connolly, executive director of the local chamber of commerce, said people are keeping a close eye on things.

"We are a commodity based economy in the northeast. So we've got grain that has got to get out of here and we've got lumber that's got to get on a rail car and out of here," she said.

"[We're] not panicking, but we're certainly watching it very, very carefully."

'This is my territory': hereditary chief

Gitxsan Nation hereditary Chief Spookw, who has been at the blockade near New Hazelton, saidall the rail and port disruptions would not have happened if there had been"proper consultation with the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs," and not just the band councils.

The natural gas pipeline project was approved by the province and20 First Nationband councils signed agreements in support of the project, including five of the six band councils in the Wet'suwet'enNation.

"They're using the bands as a means to force the pipeline through," ChiefSpookwtoldCBC Radio West host Sarah Penton.

He said the group at the blockade has been served a court order to leave, but no one has forced them to move yet.

"This is my territory here where we're standing ... there's a sign over there as we cross onto this land that says no trespassing," said ChiefSpookw.

"This railway cuts right through my territory,my house's territory. They're telling me I'm trespassing on my own land."