'It's about all of our futures': Wet'suwet'en chiefs bring pipeline protest to Edmonton
Hereditary chiefs from Wet’suwet’en were in Edmonton on Saturday to bring attention to the Coastal GasLink pipeline being built on their traditional lands near Smithers, B.C.
The chiefs say the pipeline violates their rights and title.
Workers are currently preparing to drill under the Morice River, or Wezin Kwa, a sacred water source for the people.
“We drink out of our rivers, creeks and lakes. That’s how clean they are, and yet they are threatening to kill that,” said Hereditary Chief Na’Moks. “In our language, Kwa is river, Wezin is blue-green pure. And that is what they’re threatening, the cleanest water on this planet.”
Dozens of people came out to support the chiefs and march to the RBC building downtown to protest the bank’s involvement as a financial backer in the project.
“Indigenous lands and territories continue to be under threat from extractive projects that are not just destroying our lands and territories, but are exacerbating the climate crisis,” said Ariel Deranger, who came out to support the chiefs. “This struggle with the Indigenous people isn’t just about them. It’s about all of our futures.”
Consultation on the pipeline began a decade ago. Construction started in 2019.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.