Deal reached in northern British Columbia pipeline impasse
SMITHERS, B.C. — Hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation have reached a deal with the RCMP to allow a natural gas company access across a bridge that had been blocked in their territory.
Following several hours of meetings, Chief Na’Moks told reporters that the agreement is between the chiefs and the RCMP to ensure the safety of the First Nation’s members.
He says representatives from Coastal GasLink were invited to the meeting to ensure they are on the same page, but emphasized it is not a deal with the company and the hereditary chiefs remain “adamantly opposed” to a pipeline project planned on their territory by the company.
According to the agreement, Na’Moks says company workers will be allowed across a bridge and the RCMP will also remove a roadblock that was preventing some members of the nation from accessing a Unist’ot’en healing camp near the bridge.