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Kahnawake allows CP Rail to inspect tracks

The railway blockade remains in place in Kahnawake south of Montreal on Wednesday in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs opposing the construction of a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia. Jonah Aspler/Global News

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) announced that it approved CP Rail to do an inspection of the tracks on Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, the MCK said the Fire Keepers — the Kahnawake community firefighters — as well as the “Peacekeepers and the men will be overseeing the inspection.”

This comes as the railway blockade remains in place in Kahnawake south of Montreal on Wednesday in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs opposing the construction of a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia.

Residents of the Mohawk community have yet to dismantle the barricade after a draft agreement was reached between the senior federal and B.C. ministers and hereditary chiefs on land rights.

READ MORE: ‘We support them’: Kahnawake railway blockade continues despite tentative deal in B.C.

The agreement, which was struck over the weekend after three days of talks, still requires the approval of the Wet’suwet’en people.

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Protesters also gathered in downtown Montreal Wednesday afternoon demonstrating their support of the rail blockade in Kahnawake and the Wet’suwet’en people.

Demonstrator Marlene Hale, who is originally from the Wet’suwet’en community and now lives in Quebec, told Global News she was there in support of both the Mohawk and Wet’suwet’en people.

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“Exactly 30 years ago, [the Mohawk community] went through the same struggle,” she said, referencing Quebec’s Oka Crisis land dispute in 1990.
“It’s important to them to stay still behind the Wet’suwet’en nation, they have been there, they have [had the same] experience,” said Hale.

–With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise

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