Members of the Gidimt’en clan ordered the eviction of all Coastal GasLink personnel from Wet’suwet’en territory in British Columbia.
From the company’s point of view, this action taken by the indigenous community conflicts with a court decision.
As early as 5 a.m. on Sunday, workers at the pipeline construction site were informed that they had eight hours to “peacefully leave” the area before the main road leading to Lhudis Bin territory was closed to traffic as of 1 p.m.
This community gesture comes 50 days after the installation of Camp Coyote, which prevented Coastal GasLink from building an essential portion of its 670 kilometer pipeline that would eventually transport natural gas between Dawson Creek, in the northeast of the province, and Kitimat, on the north Pacific coast.
The Gidimt’en checkpoint is used to regulate access to this part of the Wet’suwet’en territory. Checkpoint spokeswoman Molly Wickham said in a statement that the hereditary chiefs “never ceded, relinquished or lost their ownership of the land.”
She added that Coastal GasLink staff violated both Indigenous laws and an eviction notice issued almost two years ago.
“They have violated our laws for too long,” she ruled.
In response to his eviction, Coastal GasLink said in a statement that an injunction from the Supreme Court of British Columbia, granted on January 7, 2020, ensures continued and safe access to the area.
“This is the same area where the group has illegally blocked access to the Coastal GasLink site since September 25, in contravention of the order of the Supreme Court of British Columbia,” reads the document.
“Our priority remains the safety of our staff and the public. Coastal GasLink wishes to find a solution through dialogue, however, our invitations were not answered. We are closely monitoring the situation, ”added the company.
According to Gidimt’en checkpoint communications manager Jennifer Wickham, hereditary chief Dinï ze’Woos contacted the gas company and the clan expected full collaboration.
At the time of the announced deadline, at 1 p.m., the company allegedly asked the chief for a two-hour extension to allow workers already on the site to leave the limits of the Wet’suwet’en territory. However, two hours later, we would not have seen any movement on the site.
“I don’t quite understand what their intention was by asking for more time and not doing anything they had agreed to do,” said M.me Wickham. I’m not sure how this can benefit them. ”
Each of the 20 First Nations councils present along the route of the pipeline approved the project, but the hereditary chiefs of the nation’s five clans allege that the project has no rights without the consent of the traditional system of governance.
An eviction notice was issued and then executed against Coastal GasLink, triggering demonstrations across the country in solidarity, which had the effect of paralyzing construction sites in Wet ‘territory. suwet’en.
According to the deportation order published online by the Gidimt’en clan, the smooth running of the operation was conditional on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) not crossing the 30e kilometer from the Morice River Logging Road and that all workers and subcontractors leave the scene peacefully without acts of violence or intimidation.
“If either of these conditions is violated, then the path will be immediately blocked and the company will have to find a way to get its employees out,” warned Molly Wickham.
RCMP BC Director of Communications Dawn Roberts confirmed that police were aware of the eviction notice and were monitoring the situation.
“We have and will maintain a police presence in the area. The main responsibility of these officers is to patrol and intervene in the event of complaints, but I am not aware that any intervention has taken place today, ”she commented. .
According to Molly Wickham, there was no formal communication with the company, but the hereditary chief of the Gidimt’en clan, Dinï ze’Woos, spoke with officials at Coastal GasLink.
“They are expected to fully comply [à l’avis d’expulsion] », She concluded.
Coastal GasLink management did not respond to our requests for comment.