Mohawk protest continues to halt rail traffic on the Toronto-to-Montreal corridor

Via Rail has cancelledanother 33 train tripsdeparting Toronto for points east Tuesday due to an ongoingdemonstration in support of Wet'suwet'en pipeline opponents.

Tyendinaga Mohawk members say they won't end their demonstration near Belleville, Ont., until the RCMP leaves the territory of the Wet'suwet'en in northwestern B.C., where there havebeen numerous arrestsof protesters who have been blocking an access road.

The CN-owned tracks near Belleville run just outside the reserve boundaries of Tyendinaga, but are within a land claimthat stretches to Highway 2, just north of thecrossing.

The protest camp's proximityto the tracks has prompted theshutdown of passenger and freight traffic since Thursday.

Rail blockade halts Ottawa-Toronto train travel

5 years ago

Duration 1:46

A rail blockade in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en protests against the Coastal GasLink pipeline has cancelled train trips between Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, leaving more than 100,000 passengers scrambling.

Via Rail said it's had to cancel 157 scheduled trips on the Toronto-to-Montreal corridor as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, forcing at least 24,500 passengers to change their travel plans.

Via is offering full refunds to passengers affected by the cancellations.

"We know that this unfortunate situation has an impact on our passengerstravelling plans and we apologize for the inconvenience it is causing," Via Rail said in an email.

"We encourage them, if they need to travel in the next few days, to use an alternative mode of transportation since we do not have the capability of providing one."

Arrests in Wet'suwet'en territory spark nationwide solidarity protests

5 years ago

Duration 1:52

Nationwide solidarity protests that followed arrests at a pipeline blockade in Wet'suwet'en territory saw rail disruptions, road closures and additional arrests at barricades at Vancouver-area ports.

Injunction not enforced

Tyendinaga Mohawk member Jacob Morris said Monday a court injunction forbidding interference with the railway,which was issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday at the request of CN, won't deter protesters.

Demonstrations have flared across the country since the RCMP began enforcing the injunction on Wet'suwet'en territory.

Rail protestshave also sprung up near New Hazelton, B.C, and in Kahnawake, just south of Montreal.

• Mohawks prepare to enter 6th day of railway shutdown in support of Wet'suwet'en
• RCMP arrests another 7 as Wet'suwet'en efforts wrap up

Another group of protestersoccupiedthe lobby of the Justice Canada buildingin downtown Ottawa overnight, and are vowing to remain until the RCMPin B.C. withdraw, charges against protesters there are dropped and the demands ofWet'suwet'enhereditary leadership are respected.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth have also occupied the Toronto constituency office of Minister of Indigenous-Crown Relations Carolyn Bennett.