Protest causes Via Rail delays after demonstration backs up Highway 401 traffic
A small group of protesters supporting the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs in B.C. slowed down rail and vehicle traffic in eastern Ontario on Wednesday.
Traffic slowed for several hours on Hwy. 401 from Cornwall to Napanee, while the protest caused delays for Via Rail service near Belleville for several hours.
Via Rail tweeted Wednesday afternoon that the protest may lead to delays outside their control. Passengers on social media reported being stopped on a train in Kingston.
Via Rail's website showed delays on trains along the Toronto-Montreal corridor. One passenger told CTV News Ottawa that they were on a stuck train in Belleville for about an hour.
Train service was back to normal late Wednesday afternoon.
A convoy left Cornwall around 8 a.m., travelling west toward Napanee. The demonstration is in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs in B.C., who are fighting against the construction of a pipeline through their territory.
The convoy of eight vehicles passed through Brockville around 10 a.m., going about 40 kilometres per hour and flying flags.
"Mayhem traffic, from just south of Montreal to here," said Louis Ingribelli, describing the traffic on the road on Wednesday.
"It's frustrating. You want to be somewhere on time and you can't get there on time. Just want to carry on with my day."
A line of traffic about 20 kilometres long stretched behind the vehicles, who had a police escort.
"I'm definitely against the expansion of fuel as a primary source," said Robert Smith. "I agree with this protest as far as that goes."
Some commuters tell CTV News Ottawa the delays on the 401 are a small price to pay.
"Yes, I think it was worth it," said one commuter. "You have to attract attention to these things. You can't just let it go."
The OPP reported the convoy ended just after 3 p.m.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.