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- Jan 17, 2019
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New blockade today at Saint-Lambert, Quebec:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/commuter-train-block-protesters-1.5468687
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/commuter-train-block-protesters-1.5468687
I was outside the country on some family business for the last 3 days, so still catching up on my Emails, but I appreciate your concerns for me.Sorry, hope you're not affected, but totally predictable.
Of course, the fact that the pipeline is being built for fossil fuel infrastructure isn't helping one bit. Movements like Extinction Rebellion have already decided to take direct action to stop fossil fuel infrastructure even where it's fully "legal", because if we don't stop it, it is going to destroy civilization.
Because they know if they successfully blocked the highways, you bet Mr. Trudeau would call out the Mounties, the army, etc. and do whatever it would take to clear the blockages as quickly as possible.I personally don't see why an organization claiming to be against fossil fuels has chosen to specifically harm trains, thus forcing more people to drive and more freight to be sent by truck.
They have blocked a couple of highways and bridges to the US. One estimate suggests that up to 90% of the protesters country-wide aren't even First Nations, but the "protest everywhere" climate crew that have been very prevalent lately. They interviewed several and many didn't even know where the pipeline is located or what it was carrying. The 5 chiefs who started this in BC are going against the 200 who agree with the proposal and stand to make their communities $1 billion CAD in business.
The bottom line is that those blocking the rail lines, etc., in the rest of the country are simply breaking the law. However, resolving it is a "lose-lose" situation for the politicians no matter how it turns out.
Wait a second. Neroden has posted that, in the case of the BC pipeline at the center of this issue, the hereditary chiefs are OK with a pipeline, they just want it on a route that doesn't disturb their land. The pipeline company doesn't want that, because it will be more expensive. Presumably, if the pipleline company caved and built the pipeline where the hereditary chiefs want, that will be it as far as the First Nations are concerned, and the "climate crew" protesters will be hanging out to dry.They have blocked a couple of highways and bridges to the US. One estimate suggests that up to 90% of the protesters country-wide aren't even First Nations, but the "protest everywhere" climate crew that have been very prevalent lately. They interviewed several and many didn't even know where the pipeline is located or what it was carrying. The 5 chiefs who started this in BC are going against the 200 who agree with the proposal and stand to make their communities $1 billion CAD in business.
The bottom line is that those blocking the rail lines, etc., in the rest of the country are simply breaking the law. However, resolving it is a "lose-lose" situation for the politicians no matter how it turns out.
The problem, which Neroden and the liberal media overlook, is that all the elected chiefs chose the current route to maximize the return to their constituencies. This is well-documented and easily searchable, but no one cares. It's not news. The old adage that "if it bleeds, it leads" still applies. Coverage of a pipeline being built peacefully with full First Nations' co-operation does not generate headlines or sympathy. The "pile-on" protesters were described the "new racists" in a column in today's National Post, taking the position that by their actions they are actually diminishing the earned rights of First Nations' people to have an active partnership in the development of their land.Wait a second. Neroden has posted that, in the case of the BC pipeline at the center of this issue, the hereditary chiefs are OK with a pipeline, they just want it on a route that doesn't disturb their land. The pipeline company doesn't want that, because it will be more expensive. Presumably, if the pipleline company caved and built the pipeline where the hereditary chiefs want, that will be it as far as the First Nations are concerned, and the "climate crew" protesters will be hanging out to dry.
I have no opinion on this, but...
...few fringe elements...
...protesters for rent...
For someone who claims to have no opinion you sure keep letting more and more of it slip out....liberal media...
You have taken 4 separate comments out-of-context. I have no opinion on the original dispute in BC. I simply do not know enough about it. The other blockades are illegal acts by any definition.For someone who claims to have no opinion you sure keep letting more and more of it slip out.
If this were to shut down (say) the EB, Washington’s response (especially at Amtrak) would be:As mentioned previously, a shutdown of the NEC over a resources protest in the US west would not be tolerated.
That’s 1 route down - only 20 more to go!
That makes sense as to why the western trains are going to be the last to resume service. I'm also curious about the freight backlog though, as if it is severe CN may force VIA to postpone the resumption of service even if the blockades are no longer an issue. On their website, VIA updates the cancellation date to 7 days after the present date, although I'm not sure if that is to account for the freight or just hiring back the employees that were laid off and setting things up on their end.There was a new blockade at Edmonton a couple days ago on CN but I don't know if it is still in effect.
I assume that before VIA restores service, they need some assurance that blockade season is over and a train won't be stranded en route by a sudden blockade. VIA does not want to have a few hundred passengers stranded at some remote location (or I guess at any location.)
Maybe it’s also to minimize the risk of notifying passengers that their train has been cancelled only after they’ve already boarded the plane to start a vacation of which the Canadian might have been the centerpiece...That makes sense as to why the western trains are going to be the last to resume service. I'm also curious about the freight backlog though, as if it is severe CN may force VIA to postpone the resumption of service even if the blockades are no longer an issue. On their website, VIA updates the cancellation date to 7 days after the present date, although I'm not sure if that is to account for the freight or just hiring back the employees that were laid off and setting things up on their end.
The Cascades and Maple Leaf are running normally. The protest south of Montreal has been cleared, so I would expect the Adirondack to resume normal service as well.Is the Cascades operating normally? (It seems fair to ask at this point considering the dumpster fire that is the rest of this situation...)
And I suspect that the seven-day thing is down to...well, a bit of everything, including out-of-rotation equipment. I'm currently having to figure out how I plan to get back from Vancouver if the Canadian gets axed for the rest of next week.
(It has occurred to me that one solution would be to bust up the blockages...but to promptly release any First Nations folks involved while detaining "sympathizers" so as to throw the book at the "rent-a-mob" crowd. If nothing else, bagging them here would create a paper trail that could be used if some of them just seem to be showing up everywhere there's a protest.)
Not yet:Have we reached the point where the list of what's running is longer than the list of what's not running? I don't think so yet but the situation seems to change day by day.
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