Anti-pipeline rail demonstration takes centre stage in Parliament

#Ottawa; #Mohawks; #AntiPipelineRailBlockades; #CNRail; #TemporaryLayOffs

Ottawa, Feb 19 (Canadian-Media): Addressing the Government of Canada's House of Commons yesterday, Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to have patience after the anti-pipeline rail blockades by Mohawks had disrupted country's transportation network, media reports said.

Rail shutdown. Image credit: Pixaby

Trudeau said his government prefers to use "dialogue" over the use of force with the Indigenous protesters have been stationed beside the tracks near Belleville, Ont., since Feb. 6

But Protesters stressed said their actions are in solidarity with some of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs in B.C. who oppose a pipeline project running through their traditional territory after B.C.'s ministers of environment and natural gas development issued an environmental assessment certificate  on Oct. 23, 2014.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Trudeau's call for more dialogues has worsened the present national crisis in Canadian history and has emboldened demonstrators' decision to continue to hostage the Canadian economy.

Temporary layoff notices to had been sent by CN Rail to about 450 Eastern Canadian operational staff.

It was also said by a group of rail industry representatives that every day the rail stoppages continue, $425 million worth of manufactured goods sit idle.

Meanwhile, it was announced Tuesday by CN Rail that all trains running between Toronto and Windsor, Toronto and Sarnia and on the Toronto-Niagara route as well as partial service between Quebec City, Montreal and Ottawa would resume operation as of Thursday morning.