Canadian rail blockades continue: Protesters watch as Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs set to meet with feds

This video in Canada shows protesters starting fires on the railroad and jumping away from nearby moving trains. A new group of protesters who set up camp at Tyendinaga in Ontario, with a fire being set by the tracks as a train went by and a car set ablaze on Wednesday, are watching intently as Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs are planning and expected to meet with federal ministers on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Many people are hoping the meeting may mark a turning point for the protests in solidarity with hereditary chiefs over the Coastal GasLink pipeline in B.C. Rail blockades appeared in various parts across the country over the past few weeks. This means that commuter rails and the transportation of resources slowed down.

Some protesters were also seen Wednesday standing on the rails while a train came towards them. They jumped away from the train in the last few seconds. It is dangerous behavior. The previous blockade at Tyendinaga was removed earlier this week. That allowed trains to move on the rails, as usual.

Read more details here:

Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs say meeting with feds back on after ‘miscommunication’ - globalnews.ca

Wet’suwet’en matriarchs get long-awaited seats at table with hereditary chiefs, ministers - globalnews.ca

Rise in anti-Indigenous racism and violence seen in wake of Wet'suwet'en protests - cbc.ca

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs meet with ministers - youtube.com

Nationwide disruptions – such as the co-opted Wet’suwet’en protests – cannot be consequence-free - theglobeandmail.com

Wet’suwet’en supporters should stop distorting law to promote protest agenda - thestar.com

'Canada is broken,' say majority of Canadians in poll taken in wake of rail blockades - nationalpost.com

Chris Selley: Many questions remain about the railway blockades and Canadians deserve credible answers - nationalpost.com

Office of Wet'suwet'en - wetsuweten.com

The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a First Nations people who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The name they call themselves, Wetʼsuwetʼen, means "People of the Wa Dzun Kwuh River (Bulkley River)".

The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a branch of the Dakelh or Carrier people, and in combination with the Babine people have been referred to as the Western Carrier. They speak Witsuwitʼen, a dialect of the Babine-Witsuwitʼen language which, like its sister language Carrier, is a member of the Athabaskan family.

New COVID-19 case in Canada, a woman who was recently in Iran

A 5th case of the coronavirus illness sometimes-deadly COVID-19 has been confirmed in Ontario, Canada. The woman in her 60s, who had been in Iran recently, went to hospital in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) on Monday.

The COVID-19 coronavirus is spreading more quickly in Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of the world than in China. The virus initially emerged in the central city of Wuhan at the end of last year.

With a population of more than 11 million people, Wuhan is the capital city of Hubei province and the biggest city in China's central region. Located on the Yangtze River, it's about 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) west of Shanghai, or a 4-hour ride by high-speed railway.

The number of new daily COVID-19 infections inside China was for the first time overtaken by fresh cases elsewhere on Wednesday, with Italy, Iran and South Korea emerging as new intense areas for COVID-19. The virus was detected for the first time in these countries: Brazil, Pakistan, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Romania and Algeria.

The USA is dealing with 59 important cases. These are mostly Americans repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Japan.

Canadian rail blockades: Protester action escalates after police break up Tyendinaga blockade

Over the past few days, some blockades have been taken down. However, new blockades were set up on Monday in 2 Ontario communities. This was in response to arrests at the blockade in Tyendinaga. The morning commute was difficult for some in the Greater Toronto Area who use trains to get to work.

Meanwhile, trains have begun running through Tyendinaga with the tracks now clear. However, there is a chance to see even more blockades in the future. New blockades have been set up in Ontario and British Columbia.

Two hereditary chiefs of the Gitxsan First Nation in B.C. were also arrested on Monday evening after 40 members re-occupied the main CN Rail line in the wake of continued RCMP presence in Wet’suwet’en traditional territory and the Mohawk arrests.

Wetʼsuwetʼen are a First Nations people who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and Francois Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The name they call themselves, Wetʼsuwetʼen, means "People of the Wa Dzun Kwuh River (Bulkley River)".

The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a branch of the Dakelh or Carrier people, and in combination with the Babine people have been referred to as the Western Carrier. They speak Witsuwitʼen, a dialect of the Babine-Witsuwitʼen language which, like its sister language Carrier, is a member of the Athabaskan family.

Their oral history is actually called kungax.

The traditional government of the Wetʼsuwetʼen comprises 13 hereditary chiefs, organized today as the Office of the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.

The Mohawk people are the most easterly tribe of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy. They are an Iroquoian-speaking indigenous people of North America, with communities in northern New York State and southeastern Canada, primarily around Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River.

Read more here:

Where do Canadians stand on Wet’suwet’en solidarity blockades and reconciliation? - globalnews.ca

Rail blockades expand, snarl southern Ontario transit - ctvnews.ca

Above: Train in Canadian Nature

Above: CN Train

Above: VIA Rail Canada Train

Above: City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Above: Flag of Canada

Above: Flag of Ontario

Above: Flag of British Columbia

How the rail blockades are hurting the Canadian economy

Recently, CN Rail and Via Rail have started suspending services across Canada. This is following days of rail blockades over the Coastal GasLink pipeline slated to run through northern B.C. The feds are willing to sit down with Indigenous leaders, but it seems that there's a catch. Nationwide rail blockades are hurting Canada's economy, as protests over the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C. show no signs of slowing down. Hopefully, this issue can be resolved fast. Unfortunately, the blockades are stopping the flow of important supplies.

If rail blockades continue, it is possible that there will be more factory shutdowns and more layoffs. CN already recently announced 450 temporary layoffs as disruptions cause $425M worth of goods to sit idle every day.

Protesters can be seen standing and sitting on train tracks during the blockade of the rail line leading to Macmillan Yard in Toronto on Saturday. The protest is in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposed to the LNG pipeline in northern British Columbia.

The rail blockades have slowed down Canada's manufacturing industry. If this situation continues, the industry will start seeing more plant closures and temporary layoffs. In British Columbia, some Indigenous protestors and helpers have shut down a key rail line in Northern B.C. because they oppose the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on the grounds that it would run through the hereditary land of the Wet'suwet'en people.

Over 1,000 protesters have marched in downtown Toronto in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs.

Wetʼsuwetʼen are a First Nations people who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and Francois Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The name they call themselves, Wetʼsuwetʼen, means "People of the Wa Dzun Kwuh River (Bulkley River)".

The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a branch of the Dakelh or Carrier people, and in combination with the Babine people have been referred to as the Western Carrier. They speak Witsuwitʼen, a dialect of the Babine-Witsuwitʼen language which, like its sister language Carrier, is a member of the Athabaskan family.

Their oral history is actually called kungax.

The traditional government of the Wetʼsuwetʼen comprises 13 hereditary chiefs, organized today as the Office of the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wetʼsuwetʼen.

In Canada, the First Nations are defined as the predominant indigenous peoples in Canada south of the Arctic Circle. Those in the Arctic area are distinct and known as Inuit. The Métis is another distinct ethnicity. It developed after European contact and relations primarily between First Nations people and Europeans. There are currently 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.

Under Canadian Charter Jurisprudence, First Nations are a "designated group", along with women, visible minorities, and people with physical or mental disabilities. Keep in mind, First Nations are not defined as a visible minority by the criteria of Statistics Canada.

North American indigenous peoples have cultures existing thousands of years. Some of their oral traditions accurately describe historical events, such as the massive Cascadia earthquake of 1700 and the 18th-century Tseax Cone eruption. Many think that written records began with the arrival of European explorers and colonists during the Age of Discovery, beginning in the late 15th century. Interesting European accounts by trappers, traders, explorers, and missionaries give important evidence of early contact culture. To add to that, archeological and anthropological research, as well as linguistics, have helped scholars create a greater understanding of ancient cultures and historic peoples.

In modern times, there are about 200,000 Indigenous people in British Columbia. They include First Nations, Inuit and Métis. There are 198 distinct First Nations in B.C., each with their own unique traditions and interesting history. More than 30 different First Nation languages and close to 60 dialects are spoken in the province of British Columbia.

Immigration from Australia to Canada

Immigration from Australia to Canada could happen. It's interesting that Canada's immigration rules allow Australian citizens to visit without needing to apply for a visa. However, if you want to stay in the country for longer than six months you will need to apply for a visa. If you are planning to work in Canada, you will certainly need to apply for a useful Canadian working visa.

Currently, visitors from Australia do not require an entry visa for stays of six months or less. However, Australian parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to benefit greatly from the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa provisions.

Australia permits 'citizenship of 2 or more countries', providing it's legal according to all the relevant parties. So if you're already a dual national of two other countries, and then you settle in Australia, you could eventually gain a useful Australian citizenship and become a triple national.

Canadian law also allows you to hold 2 or more citizenships.

The economy of Canada is a highly developed market economy. It is certainly the 10th largest GDP by nominal in the whole world. As with other developed nations, the country's economy is dominated by the service industry which employs about three quarters of Canadians.

The economy of Australia is also a highly developed market economy. Its GDP was estimated at A$1.89 trillion as of 2019. In 2018 Australia became the country with the largest median wealth per adult, but somehow slipped back to 2nd highest after Switzerland in 2019.

Interesting news articles:

Interested in Immigrating from Australia to Canada? - visaplace.com

Documents Needed for Express Entry - canada.ca

Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) - canada.ca

Apply to Canadian Express Entry Program - aussizzgroup.com

Moving to Canada from Australia - What's it really like? - movehub.com

Moving to Canada from Australia? Here’s why it’s a good idea. - moving2canada.com

Guide to How to Immigrate to Canada from Australia - canadianvisa.org

Economy, Stock Market and Immigration News - igorbnews.com

Immigrate to Canada from Australia - emigratecanada.com

'Finally, a life': Canada comes to the rescue when a refugee family loses hope in Australia - theguardian.com

Why Canada’s immigration system stands above the rest - cicnews.com

Emigration guide: from Australia to Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and the USA - thetimes.co.uk

Canada welcomes asylum seeker who spent 6 years in Australian detention centre - ctvnews.ca

Canada expects a 40 per cent increase in citizenship among immigrants by 2024 - cicnews.com

Australia rejects visa-free immigration deal with UK - personneltoday.com