Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs plan rally at legislature over Coastal GasLink
Hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation and their supporters are planning a rally at the B.C. legislature on Tuesday to "make an important announcement" about their efforts to stop a natural gas pipeline under construction on their territory.
"The Hereditary chiefs will issue formal public comment about a recent incident of being denied access to ancestral lands by Coastal GasLink," reads a news release issued Friday to announce the gathering.
"The gathering will also address current colonial governments’ failure to fulfill commitments to Wet’suwet’en rights and title as agreed in a memorandum of understanding signed in May 2020."
The rally is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, with a news conference scheduled for 4 p.m.
The Coastal GasLink project involves the construction of a 670-kilometre pipeline that will carry natural gas across northern B.C. to the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat. Once at the terminal, the gas will be liquefied and shipped to international customers.
In August, the company said the project was 70 per cent complete.
Dozens of protesters and Indigenous land defenders have been arrested along the pipeline's route through unceded Wet'suwet'en territory since a 2019 B.C. Supreme Court order issuing a temporary injunction against interference with pipeline construction.
While Coastal GasLink has agreements with all of the elected First Nations leaders along the pipeline's route, many Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs remain opposed to the project.
In early 2020, opposition to the pipeline led to nationwide protests and blockades.
More recently, police have set up "roving patrols" along forest service roads near the pipeline construction site after a February incident in which police say 20 people "armed with axes" attacked workers and destroyed property at the site.
After a recent visit to Wet'suwet'en territory, BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau and MLA Adam Olsen questioned the degree of surveillance from RCMP in the area, which Olsen described as "oppressive" and Furstenau said is "constant" for the people who live there.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.