Victoria City Council declares solidarity with Wet’suwet’en People

In a resolution brought forward by Councillor Ben Isitt, Councillor Sharmarke Dubow and Councillor Sarah Potts, the Victoria City Council voted to endorse a Declaration of Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en People on January 23, 2020.

In it they call for "the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to suspend permits authorizing construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline and commence good-faith consultation with the Wet’suwet’en People" and further that "the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to end any attempt at forced removal of Wet’suwet’en People from their traditional territories and refrain from any use of coercive force against Wet’suwet’en People seeking to prevent the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through non-violent methods."

It reads:

Declaration of Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en People
WHEREAS the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, whose representative role is recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada, have indicated a lack of consent for the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their unceded territory;
AND WHEREAS the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the BC Human Rights Commissioner have called on the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to respect Wet’suwet’en law, rights and title by suspending permits authorizing construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline until they grant their free, prior and informed consent, following the full and adequate discharge of the duty to consult;
AND WHEREAS these entities have warned of the risk of state violence against Wet’suwet’en People opposing the pipeline through non-violent methods, including the risk of an RCMP response and use of lethal force;
AND WHEREAS Canada has endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, which includes a commitment to “consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them”;
AND WHEREAS Canada is a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, which include commitments to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pursue efforts to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Victoria calls on the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to suspend permits authorizing construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline and commence good-faith consultation with the Wet’suwet’en People;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the City of Victoria calls on the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to end any attempt at forced removal of Wet’suwet’en People from their traditional territories and refrain from any use of coercive force against Wet’suwet’en People seeking to prevent the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through non-violent methods.

Further Readings:

Trudeau dodges, Horgan and Singh contort on Wet'suwet'en, the RCMP and UNDRIP

Open Letter to Jagmeet Singh regarding Trans Mountain, Site C and Coastal GasLink