TORONTO —
Anti-pipeline protesters in Belleville, Ont. continue to block Via Rail tracks forcing train cancellations between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa for a fourth day in a row.
The blockade took over the tracks last Thursday in solidarity with demonstrators in northwest B.C. where Indigenous people and supporters are protesting the construction of a pipeline that crosses Wet’suwet’en territory.
On Monday, Via Rail said the protesters continue to block the tracks and that none of the affected routes will operate until the issue is resolved.
“92 trains were cancelled since the beginning of the blockade,” Via Rail said in a statement on Monday. “The total number of passengers impacted at that point was over 16.000.”
Customers are being asked to check Via Rail’s website for service updates. The company said it will be automatically refunding all tickets affected by the disruption.
The Ontario Provincial Police said that they are also monitoring the protests.
On Saturday, protesters in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation blocked the Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail tracks at Bartlett Avenue in Toronto’s west end.
In a news release, the group behind the demonstration said they chose the CP tracks as the site of their protest due to the company’s involvement in transporting pipeline materials to B.C.
Canadian National Railway says it has been granted an injunction order to remove protesters from the site near Belleville.
With files from The Canadian Press
