B.C. RCMP say they'll leave outpost on Wet'suwet'en territory if road is kept clear

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says he's hopingtheRCMP's offer toleave their outpost onWet'suwet'en territory in northern B.C. willlead to the barricades coming down, as talks aimed at ending the rail blockades crippling the country's rail network continue.

"I'm very hopeful that that will satisfy the concerns that were raised,"said Blair ahead of a Thursday morning cabinet meeting.

"I believe the time has come now for the barricades to come down."

CBCNews has obtained a copy of a lettersent Wednesday from RCMP Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan to the hereditary chiefs offering to move the RCMP's temporary detachment from near the protest site to the nearby town ofHouston as long as Morice West ForestService Road remains clear. The RCMP confirmed that letter was sent.

"As always, we encourage dialogue over enforcement with a goal of a long-term solution," Strachanwrote, while asking for a meeting "in the near future."

In a separate letterto staff,Strachansaid thedecision to re-assess their presence was "not an easy one to consider."

"By making this gesture in good faith, we are not only supporting efforts towards a peaceful and sustainable solution, but also facilitating them,"she wrote in the internal email, first reported on by Global News.

"Our hope has always been to create mutual understanding for a peaceful resolution, without the need for police intervention."

Watch: Blair says he doesn't direct RCMP on blockades

Blair says he doesn't direct RCMP on blockades

5 years ago

Duration 0:30

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says the federal government has not been directing the RCMP's actions during the rail blockade crisis.

It's not clear yet whether the hereditary chiefs will meet with federal and provincial government representatives. Earlier this afternoon, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett said she had not heard back from the chiefs on whether they will accept Strachan's offer.

The RCMP, which acts as the provincial police servicein B.C., moved in to enforce a court injunction earlier this month after the Wet'suwet'enhereditary chiefs and their supporters blockedconstruction of the$6-billion Coastal GasLink pipeline project.The B.C. Supreme Court issued an injunction in December authorizing the police to clear away theprotesters who had blocked access to thepublic road.

Thosearrests triggered national protests and the rail blockades, whichhave lasted just over two weeks now.Via Rail announced nearly 1,000 layoffs Wednesday in response to thenationwide rail shutdown, while CN Rail says it has issued temporary pink slips to 450 workers because the blockade has shuttered much of its eastern Canadian operations.

Bennett has offered to meet with the Wet'suwet'enhereditary chiefsas soon as possible to help resolve the dispute.

Trudeau calls blockades an 'unacceptablesituation'

So far, the hereditary chiefs have said they won't meet with the federal and provincial ministers until the RCMPleave theirterritory.

Blair said he hopes the RCMP's offer will meet the chiefs' conditions.

"I have not been directing the RCMP, but they have been making very thoughtful and well-informed operational decisions with respect to their deployment in response to concerns that have been raised," he said after today's cabinet meeting.

Watch: Miller is still waiting to meet the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs

Miller is still waiting to meet the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs

5 years ago

Duration 0:59

Federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller spoke with reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Thursday

In a tweet, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegardecalled the RCMP's decision"an important opportunity for progress, dialogue and safety."

A handful of hereditary chiefs are travelling toTyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville, Ont., to meet with protesters there who have been blockading CN Rail in solidarity.The chiefs are alsoexpected to visit Mohawks at Kahnawake in Quebec.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's office put out a statement calling the B.C. developments a positive step while pushing for a timeline to end the blockades.

"While the Ontario government believes in the rule of law, it is imperative that elected officials do not direct police operational decisions," his office said in a statement.

CN gets injunction for Montreal blockade

"We believe the OPP is in the best position to ensure the protest remains peaceful, as both sides find a negotiated resolution."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet met in Ottawa Thursday morning to chart a path forward.

"We're working very hard to end the blockades. It's an unacceptablesituation," said the prime minister.

CNRail says it has obtained an injunction to dismantle a rail blockade on Montreal's South Shore.

"We've obtained the injunction and are hoping for a swift resolution of this incident so that passenger commuter rail service can resume," it said in a statement.

Quebec Premier Franois Legault told reporters earlier Thursday that "once the injunction is granted, we will dismantle the blockade."

Watch: Blair says B.C. RCMP offering to leave Wet'suwet'en territory

Blair says B.C. RCMP offered to leave Wet'suwet'en territory

5 years ago

Duration 4:02

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says B.C. RCMP have offered to withdraw its mobile station in Wetsuweten traditional territory. Blair spoke to reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting Thursday.