Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett says talks with Wet'suwet'en leaders have helped develop a protocol to deal with future land disputes.
Bennett, her provincial counterpart and a Wet'suwet'en hereditary chief emerged from ongoing talks today, saying they have reached a proposed arrangement in the dispute over the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
Chief Woos (wahs') says the hereditary chiefs remain opposed to the pipeline in their traditional territory, but the proposal represents an important milestone.
Solidarity protests sprung up across Canada over the past three weeks in support of the First Nation, disrupting passenger and freight train service.
Meanwhile, Coastal GasLink says it will resume construction activities in the area tomorrow, and -- quote -- "remains committed to dialogue and engagement with all Indigenous groups along our route.''
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Meanwhile, also today, hundreds of people - sympathetic to the Wet'suwet'en cause and Indigenous land rights - protested for several hours outside the world's largest mining convention taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
There were a few tense moments, but no arrests were reported. The crowd dispersed just before 4 o'clock this afternoon.
Few details on the proposed agreement reached in B.C. have been released. In hearing about the draft agreement, some at the rally in Toronto expressed skepticism on CP24 that this would actually lead to favourable long-term changes for Indigenous people going forward.
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With files from Heather Seaman