Gitxsan protesters opposed to the $5.5-billion pipeline from Alberta to the port of Kitimat, B.C., celebrated Christmas on the picket line with a dinner of turkey, ham stuffing and potatoes.
But the cheery Christmas spirit did nothing to ease tensions within the Gitxsan First Nation over a round-the-clock blockade intended to force three people who were involved in a recent show of support for the controversial Northern Gateway Project to leave their jobs.
As the blockade enters its fourth week, Norman Stephens, a spokesman for the protesters, said Monday the barricades will not come down until three employees of the Gitxsan Treaty Office hand over their keys to the office and their control over its funds. The protesters say employees backed the pipeline without receiving authorization from the Gitxsan people.
Mr. Stephens dismissed a proposal to resolve the confrontation by allowing Gitxsan’s hereditary chiefs to hear all the views and to discuss the issues until a consensus is reached.
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Mr. Stephens said Monday in an interview from Hagwilget, 140 kilometres northeast of Terrace.
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