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First Nations group blocks Toronto-Ottawa trains to demand justice for murdered aboriginal women

Via Rail's Maritime-Quebec passenger service in doubt

First Nations protesters are blocking railway service outside of Ottawa on Wednesday, in an apparent bid to pressure the Canadian government into taking a more serious look at the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.

The blockade is at Marysville, a small community about halfway between Ottawa and Toronto, and involves several members of the nearby Tyendinaga Mohawk reserve.

Via Rail says the blockade is stopping passenger trains scheduled to travel between Ottawa and Toronto, including routes that begin in Montreal.

Train service between Montreal and Ottawa has not been affected.

"Every effort is being made to bring passengers with itineraries passing through the site of the blockade to destination. VIA Rail’s foremost priority is to ensure that customers reach their destinations as comfortably and safely as possible," the company said in a statement.

A total of nine trains have been cancelled due to the blockade. Those lines will be replaced by bus service, although customers have been offered a refund.

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Protest signs at the scene suggest the blockade is to demand justice for missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada – an issue that has received national attention following the death of Halifax university student Loretta Saunders.

Saunders, a 26-year-old Inuk originally from Labrador, was studying at Saint Mary's University when she disappeared on Feb. 13. She was writing a thesis on missing and murdered aboriginal women at the time.

Two people face first-degree murder charges in her death. As a matter of coincidence, the case was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday but was adjourned until next month.

Saunders' death led to calls for a national inquiry into the prevalence of aboriginal women who disappear or are found murdered.

According to the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, aboriginal women are five times more likely to be attacked than non-aboriginal women. The public often dismisses the problem as issues related to the sex-trade industry or a matter of personal demons rather than consider a larger societal failing.

Following Saunders' death, the province of Newfoundland called on the federal government to launch an inquiry into the matter. Bruce Wildsmith, a high-profile aboriginal rights lawyer, is also calling for an inquiry.

All of this is a fine reason to protest. Calling for an inquiry is just, even with the complexities such a wide-scoped investigation would surely face.

But blocking transit for hundreds or thousands of Canadians, many of whom likely agree with the cause, more likely to stir public outrage than win a government concession.

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