Blockade to get gov't attention

Band members of the Kelly Lake Cree Nation, 540 km northwest of Edmonton, are concerned about the damage being done to their traditional lands from oil and gas exploration and hope to bring attention to their health and safety concerns by holding a blockade from June 20 to 23.
Members of the community, located on the northern BC and Alberta border, are undertaking efforts to convince federal and provincial governments to help them deal with the situation. They seek to reach a solution peacefully and in partnership with government and the companies, rather than settling the matter through court.
Kelly Lake Cree Nation band members will blockade Highway 43 near Beaverlodge and Highway 2 near Dawson Creek, forcing rigs, semi-trailers, and other vehicles used in the oil and gas industry to use alternate routes to development sites.
According to community spokesperson and band consultant, Clayton Anderson, the blockade will be held along with an emergency disaster preparedness drill next week. This is expected to demonstrate the health and safety concerns caused by oil and gas exploration in the area.
The approximately 400 members living in the community are also affected by the large amount of industrial traffic going through the area every day. Anderson said the roads are not fitting for the type of vehicles using them to travel, especially with the large loads of dangerous and toxic goods they carry. Furthermore, no plan is in place to help the community should an explosion or any other type of disaster occur.
Anderson stated band members in the blockade will allow regular traffic to pass, but will deter those from the industry from going through.
The band, which follows its own traditional hereditary governance system, currently has a comprehensive land claim agreement they have been trying to settle with the federal government since 1994, but have not any progress in the matter.