By Haldimand Press Staff
CALEDONIA—A protest held in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation shut down the Highway 6 bypass for approximately four days this past weekend. The blockade followed a post on Twitter revealing the arrest of a First Nation chief in northern British Columbia.
1492 Land Back Lane posted to Facebook about the shutdown on October 28, 2021 at about 1 p.m. Within the hour, the OPP set up road blocks around the protest to redirect traffic at Greens Road and at Fourth Line.
“The detours are clearly marked and there may be an increase in traffic in that area,” Constable Mary Gagliardi said in a release that day. “Please beware of pedestrians and try to avoid the area if possible.”
Blockades of roads and railways have taken place across the country beginning last year to protest the pipeline going through Wet’suwet’en territory, where hereditary chiefs claimed the project had no authority without consent through their traditional system of governance.
News of the bypass reopening came the morning of November 1, with the OPP reporting that the bypass was “in the process of being cleared to facilitate reopening.”
“OPP will work with the Ministry of Transportation to reopen the area to traffic following a complete inspection of the road and bridges along the Highway 6 bypass,” said Gagliardi. The road reopened to traffic by 11 a.m. that day.
“The OPP thanks everyone for their patience during this road closure,” concluded Gagliardi. “For the latest traffic updates, always follow @OPP_WR and @OPP_COMM_WR on Twitter. Additional traffic information can be found on the 511 Ontario website at 511on.ca/#:Alerts.”
