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Via Rail blockade by First Nations that halted Montreal-Toronto trains ends
After a day of rail disruption, protesters near the Tyendinaga Mohawk reserve in southern Ontario who blocked the Montreal-Toronto Via Rail line to draw attention to missing and murdered aboriginal women have gone home.
CN is inspecting the tracks and level crossing barriers to reopen the rail line.
The blockade was at Marysville, Ont., between Belleville and Kingston.
“Today is a national day of action. A call was put out and this is how we chose to take our part. Today is about raising awareness and gaining support for the issue of murdered and missing indigenous women. It’s a national issue and we choose to take part in unity with other nations,” said Karahkwinetha, a protester who would only give her first name.
Via Rail’s media relations manager Jacques C. Gagnon said Marysville is a popular site for railway blockades.
“We had hints since late last night that there would be a blockade,” Gagnon said.
Train service between Montreal and Ottawa kept running throughout the day. However, service between Toronto and Ottawa and between Toronto and Montreal was halted.
Trains travelling in the Montreal-Toronto corridor were replaced by chartered buses.
Ontario Provincial Police in Smith Falls, Ont., have confirmed that Wyman Road/Highway 2 in Tyendinaga is also blocked.
Earlier this month, protesters from the Tyendinaga Mohawk reserve blocked a highway over what they said was a lack of action on investigations into missing and murdered aboriginal women.
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