By Canadian Press

The latest on protests across Canada in support of anti-pipeline demonstrators

Feb 18, 2020 | 6:46 AM

Here is the latest news on protests across Canada over a natural gas pipeline project in British Columbia:

Via Rail is preparing to resume part of its passenger rail service as anti-pipeline protests affect many freight and passenger train routes in Canada.

The company says it has been notified by Canadian National Railway and partial service will be resume Thursday to and from Ottawa and Quebec City, with a stop in Montreal.

Almost all other Via trains, except for the Sudbury-White River and Churchill-The Pas routes, remain cancelled.

Protesters have blocked rail lines in several parts of Canada to show solidarity with hereditary Wet’suwet’en chiefs opposed to construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline through their traditional territories in northwestern B.C.

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The New Democratic Party wants an emergency debate on anti-pipeline blockades as Parliament resumes in Ottawa.

The party will ask Speaker Anthony Rota to allow the debate in response to blockades that have affected everything from passenger rail and freight movement in many parts of Canada, to traffic on highways, bridges and even at a border crossing near Kingston.

The Opposition wants a chance to question Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his government’s actions to resolve the blockades set up by opponents of a natural gas pipeline being built on traditional First Nations territories in British Columbia.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2020

The Canadian Press