Christy Kelly-Bisson

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s unpopularity is on full display as he encounters protests throughout his summer speaking tour around the province.

Community members and workers rallied on Tuesday outside the Best Western hotel in Cookville, Nova Scotia to express their outrage at the government’s recent moves to override Mi’kmaw treaty rights, fast-track natural resource extraction, and cut funding to a wide variety of public programs and services.

The group of between 40 to 70 protesters included: Mi’kmaw water protectors, local members of the Council of Canadians, and striking ambulance dispatch workers with CUPW 015.

The demonstration took place outside a “State of the Province” lunch event hosted by the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce, which featured Premier Tim Houston as it’s keynote speaker.

The protest started a half-hour before the event. Attendees gathered along Highway 10 along the sidewalk encouraged by the occasional honking of passing traffic. Michelle Paul (Woman of the Green Earth) of Wasoqopa’q First Nation opened the event. She was then accompanied by two other Mi’kmaw women in sharing the Mi’kmaw Honour Song.

Tim Houston, soon after, walked up to the gathered crowd where he was welcomed by calls of “shame”. He was immediately confronted by Mi’kmaw grandmother Darlene Giilbert (Thunderbird Swooping Down Woman) who asked the premier to “show me your title to my land”. Houston ignored Gilbert and began speaking to a white woman about how he will speak with demonstrators after the event.

Premier Houston briskly walked away followed by the three Mi’kmaq women and one other protestor. They followed him into the hotel lobby. Gilbert continued to press the Premier to answer her questions about land title, while another woman drummed and sang in the background. Houston slipped away as two RCMP officers held the group of women back and gradually ushered them back outside.

The protest continued outside for the duration of the event. The crowd gradually decreased to about fifteen people. Premier Houston arrived twenty minutes after the event where he spoke to the striking ambulance dispatch members of CUPW 015 for about five minutes.

He, once again, refused to speak with grandmother Darlene Giilbert and walked away to get into a black SUV. Michelle Paul asked Houston, “have you talked to our chiefs?” He responded, “Yeah, the chiefs know how to reach me as well.” The vehicle door closed and quickly drove away.

The event, costing $149 per ticket, is one stop on the Premiere’s province-wide summer speaking tour.

CBC reported that in Wolfeville, last week, Houston encountered a group of protestors. This included community-members expressing concern about library branch closures throughout the Annapolis Valley. The event became tense when instead of addresing the protestors Houston attempted to quickly escape into a chauffered SUV after the event.

Community members surrounded the vehicle demanding to speak with the Premier. The vehicle attempted to drive through the crowd, almost injuring a protester. CBC reported that one man climbed on to the roof of the SUV and broke the windshield. He was later arrested on charges of intimidation of a justice system participant, intimidation, and mischief under $5,000.

Premier Houston is scheduled to speak at four more events during his tour. He will be speaking in Port Hawkesbury on August 12, and Sydney on August 13.