Tolerance is Wearing Thin with Indigenous-led Railway Blockades

PM Justin Trudeau met late on Thursday with provincial premiers and expressed disappointment at Ottawa’s approach to the continuing Indigenous-led railway blockades.

Talking to CBC News, provincial sources said some Premiers notified Trudeau that “patience is wearing thin” within provincial communities. The demonstrations have continued for several weeks and also have effectively pushed 1,500 rail workers out of jobs.

Several Premiers even raised concerns about the rise of counter-protests that emerged on the locations of several native roadblocks on Wed, especially in Edmonton.

Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan including Premier François Legault of Montreal has criticized Ottawa for being too slow to respond to the unlawful roadblocks. Legault, who publicly took the strongest position on the roadblocks, indicated that Ottawa must rely on the police to enforce the rule of law to prevent future damage to the economy.

Trudeau insisted that further negotiation, not the use of coercion, is the best way to resolve the deadlock.

Trudeau notified premiers that he’s willing to send senior government members to meet with aboriginal demonstrators to discuss an end to blockades— a proposal that Party leader Andrew Scheer said leads to “radical radicals” appeasement. Justin with his cabinet huddled today in Ottawa to map a way forward as the blockades reach their two-week anniversary.

“We are working really hard to resolve the barricades, it’s an undesirable condition,” the prime minister announced before of his cabinet meeting.

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs Carolyn Bennett sent out a letter Wednesday proposing to meet with the chiefs in Smithers, B.C., as soon as Thursday, however, that conference never materialized.

This is Bennett’s second proposal to meet face to face with leaders resistant to the unresolved Coastal Gas-link proposal. A Bennett spokesperson said that the minister remains prepared to meet the chiefs at any place and time.