B.C. Ferries sailings resume, delayed after Swartz Bay blockade in support of Wet'suwet'en – Vancouver Sun

A blockade by land and water in support of the Wet’suwet’en against the Coastal GasLink blocked Highway 17 traffic on Monday morning from getting to B.C. Ferries’ Swartz Bay terminal on Vancouver Island.

The blockade, which ended around 9 a.m., initially caused the halt and delays of several morning sailings out of B.C. Ferries’ Swartz Bay terminal, all of which were held until traffic could be allowed through.

A number of Southern Gulf Islands sailings were also delayed by kayakers in the water, linked to the road blockade.

Just before 9 a.m., B.C. Ferries said traffic was once again flowing to the terminal though all sailings would be delayed until traffic on the highway had cleared.

The demonstration is in response to a call from Wet’suwet’en hereditary leaders for support pushing back against the liquified natural gas project in northern B.C.

Deborah Marshall of B.C. Ferries says a blockade at the gates of the Swartz Bay terminal was lifted just before 9 a.m. allowing traffic to begin loading onto vessels.

Marshall says B.C. Ferries respects the rights of individuals to protest but the company’s concern is for customers having “safe and uninterrupted access to our terminals.”

She says RCMP officers were at the terminal, spoke with protesters and “worked through the situation.”

Coastal GasLink is building a 670-kilometre pipeline from B.C.’s northeast to Kitimat but hereditary Wet’suwet’en chiefs say they have issued an eviction notice to stop the work, although a B.C. Supreme Court injunction prevents interference with pipeline operations.

The Coastal GasLink project is approved and permitted and has support of elected leaders of First Nations located along the pipeline route.

B.C. Ferries was the target of Monday’s blockade due to its ties to the liquefied natural gas industry, say unidentified anti-pipeline protesters in a statement.

“We emphasize that provincial infrastructure cannot be built or maintained through the colonization and destruction of the territories and waters that the Wet’suwet’en have governed since time immemorial,” the statement reads.

In a brief online post, B.C. Ferries said it was working on a contingency plan to keep traffic moving and onto the ferry, and for customers to check frequently for updates to its service notices.

Photos shared online of the blockade appear to show a large “RESPECT WET’SUWET’EN LAW” banner hung up across an overpass, while others standing below hoist other signs that read “RESPECT INDIGENOUS LAW.”

More to come.

–with files from Canadian Press

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