The RCMP have ended their patrols of the Morice West Forest Service Road after reaching an agreement with Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n hereditary chiefs.
In a Thursday release RCMP spokesperson, Dawn Roberts, stated they are satisfied with the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n hereditary chief鈥檚 commitment to keeping the road open to the public during their talks with the provincial and federal governments.
The agreement was reached amid continuing protests and road and rail blockades across the country, including at the B.C. Legislature this week. The protests have been ongoing since early February in opposition to the Coastal GasLink, a 670-kilometre natural gas pipeline being built through Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n traditional lands.
Talks are expected to begin later today with the five hereditary chiefs and Canada鈥檚 Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett and her provincial counterpart, B.C. Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser.
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Members of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Rangers will patrol the road during the talks and report to the RCMP on whether it remains clear of obstructions.
鈥淭he RCMP has confirmed that patrols along the Morice West Forest Service Road will cease during the period of discussions with the government representatives,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淭he RCMP has agreed not to patrol the road unless there is an emergency call for service, such as a motor vehicle accident with injuries.鈥�
Removing the RCMP presence from the service road was a key condition for the hereditary chiefs to enter talks with the provincial and federal governments over their opposition to the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
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Once those talks begin and the hereditary chiefs are satisfied with the progress, it鈥檚 expected they will issue a request for supporters to remove all rail blockades in Canada erected in support of the chiefs.
The RCMP closed its mobile office on the road Feb. 21 and moved its officers to the nearby detachment in Houston, but kept up daily patrols of the service road.
B.C. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan, Commanding Officer of the and A/Commr. Eric Stubbs, Criminal Operations Officer 鈥� CORE Policing have been directly involved in the discussions with the hereditary chiefs to end those patrols for the past week.
