Quebec government tries to ease growing tension over forestry blockades

By Maura Forrest The Quebec government is trying to ease rising tensions between forestry workers and Indigenous protesters who oppose a new bill they say threatens their way of life. Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina and Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière announced Tuesday they were meeting with three Atikamekw communities in Quebec’s Mauricie region, roughly 200 kilometres north of Montreal. The region has been the site of recent tense confrontations between protesters and industry workers over a series of blockades that have disrupted operations for some in the forestry sector. “I am very concerned about the situation,” Blanchette Vézina said Tuesday on X. “It is essential that we speak calmly and respectfully.” The Assembly of First Nations Quebec–Labrador is expected to meet with the office of Premier François Legault…

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