Aboriginal protest closes Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario for 3 hours

ESPANOLA, Ont. – An aboriginal protest closed the Trans-Canada Highway near Espanola, in northern Ontario, for about three hours Saturday.

Ontario Provincial Police say the demonstration at the junction of Highways 6 and 17 was part of the “Idle No More” protests.

The OPP monitored the demonstration and say it was peaceful.

First Nations have been protesting against the policies of the Conservative government, and more than 1,000 held a day of protest Friday in Ottawa.

Rallies were held in various cities across the country. Demonstrations in support of Spence’s cause also took place in the United States.
 

INTERACTIVE MAP: Idle No More rallies across Canada (as of Friday December 21, 2012) 

View Idle No More rallies across Canada in a larger map

First Nations have also been urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston to meet with Theresa Spence, the chief of northern Ontario’s troubled Attawapiskat First Nation.

Spence has urged Harper and Johnson to start a national discussion about First Nations poverty, saying communities face impoverished conditions.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

PHOTO GALLERY: ‘Idle No More’ rally in Saskatoon on December 21

Many see Spence as a warrior standing up for all Canadians.
 

Spence has been on a hunger strike since Dec. 11, living in a tipi on an island in the Ottawa River that many aboriginals consider to be sacred land. Atleo met with her Friday and said she appeared weak from 10 days of ingesting mainly water and fish broth.

Shelly Young, an aboriginal activist from Nova Scotia, wept during a panel discussion Friday in Halifax as she spoke of how Spence is inspiring others.

“She is a warrior in our eyes because she’s standing up to the government, she’s saying the pain is too much,” Young, 30, said in an interview.

“I think sometimes we have to do the extreme to get the attention of the government, because they’re ignoring us.”

Protesters in Nova Scotia also held a peaceful demonstration along Highway 102 in the Truro area, causing about eight kilometres of traffic gridlock.

The Canadian Auto Workers and civil service unions across the country have also shown support for the movement, saying they stand in solidarity with First Nations in a struggle against Bill C-45.

Spence did not take part in the Ottawa rally, but on Thursday, she wrote to Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston, urging them to start a national discussion about poverty in First Nations communities.