At least one Amtrak train has been forced to stop at the border due to a blockade by Wet’suwet’en supporters along rail tracks in Vancouver.
Amtrak Cascades Train 516 was turned back to Bellingham Saturday afternoon, while train 519 was cancelled, due to a blockade at the Canadian National Rail lines crossing Renfrew Street in East Vancouver.
“This situation has the potential to affect services into Canada until it is resolved,” Amtrak said to a number of customers on social media.
The blockade, which was set up Saturday morning, is in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en members and First Nation hereditary chiefs whose opposition to Coastal GasLink’s pipeline project running through their traditional territory has sparked outrage across the country.
Today, land defenders and allies are blocking the rails by Renfrew Station in solidarity with #Wetsuweten. Join if you are able and in Vancouver. #WetsuwenStrong #AllEyesOnWetsuweten #ShutDownCanada pic.twitter.com/3Erumqudc8
— Nayeli Jimenez (@nayelijs) February 15, 2020
At least two other blockades along CN’s rail system caused disruptions in B.C. this week, including one in New Hazelton and another in Port Coquitlam. While both of those blockades have since ended, a large blockade on Tyendinaga Mohawk territory in Ontario has shut down rail services across Eastern Canada for 10 days.
Meanwhile, Wet’suwet’en members have returned back to camps south of Houston, along a forest access road leading to a pipeline construction work site. Twenty-eight people were arrested this month by RCMP because of a court injunction on the roadway.
Members of the First Nation said they are maintaining the eviction order served to Coastal GasLink to leave the traditional territories of the Wet’suwet’en.
– with a file from The Canadian Press
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