VANCOUVER —
A crowd of pipeline protesters impacted traffic heading to BC Ferries’ Swartz Bay terminal early Monday morning, leading to major delays on multiple sailings.
BC Ferries told CTV News that the 7 a.m. sailings out of Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen were held at the docks. All traffic getting into the Swartz Bay terminal was blocked by protesters.
“Sidney RCMP are on site discussing the situation with the protesters, however no traffic is getting into the terminal at this point,” Deborah Marshall, executive director of public affairs told CTV News Vancouver shortly before 8 a.m.
At about 9 a.m., BC Ferries said traffic was flowing normally again but travellers should continue to expect delays.
In fact, the blockade led to ripple effects throughout the morning as the 7 a.m. sailing out of Tsawwassen left 70 minutes behind schedule and the 9 a.m. sailing was cancelled. Another sailing between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen left 2 ½ hours late and the 11 a.m. sailing out of Swartz Bay was cancelled.
Three other ferries were also held at Pender Island, Mayne Island and Swartz Bay.
Kolin Sutherland-Wilson, media spokesperson for the protest, told CTV News Vancouver the protesters are made up of Victoria-area community members who are concerned with the situation in Wet’suwet’en territory, in connection to Coastal GasLink’s 670-kilometre pipeline being built from B.C.’s northeast to Kitimat.
Coastal GasLink signed agreements with 20 elected First Nation councils along the pipeline’s path, but the hereditary clan chiefs who are leaders under the traditional form of governance say the project doesn’t have authority to go ahead without their consent.
“To us it’s completely unacceptable how B.C. is handling the situation because Premier Horgan should be talking to the hereditary chiefs as they are the rightful decision makers for that territory,” Sutherland-Wilson said.
Sutherland-Wilson said there are about 100 people outside the Swartz Bay ferry terminal and that they plan to leave peacefully.
“What’s happening here pales in comparison to what the Wet’suwet’en people are dealing with in the RCMP exclusion zone on their own territory,” he said. “Overall my heart goes out to anyone that we may have severely inconvenienced but ultimately we’ve got to look at the big picture.”
The conflict led to rallies across the country last year when RCMP enforced an injunction and arrested 14 supporters of the hereditary chiefs.
On Dec. 31, the B.C. Supreme Court expanded the injunction. The hereditary clan chiefs responded with an eviction notice to Coastal GasLink, which led to a new standoff along the remote Morice West Forest Service Road.
“We certainly respect the rights of individuals to protest a decision that they don’t agree with, but our concern is allowing our customers and employees safe and unimpeded access to the terminal,” Marshall said. “Our service is essential to connect communities and commerce.”
