Blocked rail network has a major impact on the economy

Text by: RFI Follow

In Canada, the railroad blockade that has been going on for more than two weeks now is starting to hurt the Canadian economy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still seeking a peaceful solution to this conflict, which arose out of the opposition of part of an Aboriginal nation to see a gas pipeline pass through its territory in northern British Columbia.

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With our correspondent in Montreal, Pascale Guéricolas

Hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en Nation in British Columbia, hostile to a pipeline project crossing their traditional lands, demand that the police leave their territory before entering into negotiations with members of the government.

" I am very proud of the work accomplished by the Canadian police and their commitment to peacefully resolve this very complex conflict. We have complied with the conditions requested, the barricades must now be lifted, "said Bill Blair, the Minister of the Interior who wants to show the appeasement of the police who plans to leave soon.

The blockage persists, however, at key points in the rail network. The factories are running out of raw materials because the containers remain at the quay or on ships in the west of the country.

Canceled trains and technical unemployment

" All sectors and almost all sectors are affected internationally, be it electronics, construction products, retail products, " explains Pierre Dolbec, who runs a transport company in Quebec, near 5,000 kilometers from Vancouver. There is a break in the supply chain due to the fact that it is blocked in Vancouver. It will completely freeze the Canadian economy . ”

When the trains resume service, it will take weeks to deliver the containers to their recipients. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , pressed by the opposition to act quickly to lift the dams that affect the Canadian economy, met Thursday at the end of the afternoon with the leaders of the Canadian provinces to try to find a way out to the crisis.

A thousand employees of the Canadian public transport company Via Rail have been laid off due to the blockage of rail traffic in the east of the country. A total of 647 trains were canceled due to the blockades, affecting more than 117,000 passengers, according to figures released by Via Rail. For its part, the Canadian National freight transport company has also laid off 450 employees.

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• Canada
• Environment

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