MP Taylor Bachrach calls for dialogue and empathy in Wet'suwet'en pipeline dispute

The focus of the dispute over the Coastal GasLink pipeline project
is centred on a blockade site south of Houston

With tensions on the rise in the Bulkley Valley over the latest developments in the protest of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach has offered words of patience and a call for dialogue through a Facebook post on Thursday evening.

In his commentary the MP notes of the sense of anxiousness that is building in the area of what he refers to as the Gitimt'en checkpoint near Houston and offered up his overriding concern for the safety of all involved, as well as to issue a call for empathy for the positions of all that are involved on all sides of the ongoing dispute.

I encourage folks to remember that the people on the blockade, the RCMP, and the pipeline workers include members of our community. Empathy doesn’t cost us anything. -- MP Taylor Bachrach

His comments through social media are the first on the topic of the New Year, the MP last addressed themes of the issues in the Wet'suwet'en region over the Christmas holidays when he outlined his thoughts related to a controversial article in the UK publication The Guardian that focused on RCMP enforcement practices one year ago.

That response provided for some quite heated discussion on his Social media timeline and if the early commentary is any indication, his latest approach to the theme will be equally contentious on his Facebook comments section.

In matters related to the ongoing dispute south of Houston, earlier this week the RCMP released some background and collection of photos they had taken from an area near the blockade site, and advising that a criminal investigation was now underway related to those discoveries.

From the RCMP statement:

Of particular concern for safety, they noted some trees that were partly cut in readiness for felling. This creates a hazard where these trees can fall unexpectedly due to wind. Three stacks of tires were also noticed, each covered by tarps and trees, and contained several jugs of accelerants – gasoline, diesel, oil, kindling and bags full of fuel soaked rags (see photos attached). 

 These concerning items have been brought to the attention of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs. They have also been advised that the RCMP has entered into a criminal investigation under Section 247 of the Criminal Code for Traps Likely to Cause Bodily Harm.

For it's part the Provincial government has put some distance between itself and the dispute, the Province most recently noting that it was an issue for the Hereditary Chiefs and Coastal GasLink to sort out.

On January 7th Coastal GasLink posted an update to their project page which noted that they had written to Chief Namox to set up a meeting to discuss issues of importance to the Hereditary Chiefs of the Office of the Wet’suwet’en.

In reply on Wednesday, the Hereditary leaders advised through the media that they don't want to meet with company officials and instead demanded talks with the British Columbia and Federal government as well as the Commissioner of the RCMP.

The Coastal GasLink pipeline project is the natural gas pipeline that will feed the LNG Canada Terminal currently in development in the Kitimat region.

You can explore more background on the dispute from our Victoria Viewpoints feature on our political blog D'Arcy McGee.

Further items of interest related to the work of the Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP see our archive page here.

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