The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce is joining their provincial and territorial counterparts in a call to restore rail service across the country.
The Yorkton Chamber participated in a conference call, hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“Many of the Chambers had stories relating to how their local economy was being affected by the rail blockades and the inability of the trains to move through with their commodities.” said Juanita Polegi, Executive Director of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce.
In a news release, the Chamber mentions “there is a rapidly increasing risk that essential supplies like grain for livestock, oxygen for hospitals and propane for residential heating will not be sufficient.”
Polegi says in response, they will be reaching out to Yorkton-Melville MP Cathay Wagantall, Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit and Yorkton Mayor Bob Maloney to discuss these concerns, “stress the need to increase efforts to achieve Indigenous reconciliation and press for engagement by the provincial government, Indigenous leaders and law enforcement agencies to end the blockades.”
“The Yorkton Chamber absolutely shares the government’s commitment to reconciliation, and we recognize that many businesses have long-standing, and respectful, relationships with Indigenous communities. We don’t feel that these rail blockades should interfere with the work that the reconciliation has done and continues to do.” Polegi added.
The blockades being created are in
solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, over the construction of a natural gas pipeline project that runs through their territory in northern British Columbia.