Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief Dtsa’hyl, also known as Adam Gagnon, was sentenced in the B.C. Supreme Court in Smithers to 60 days of house arrest for his role in disrupting the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en traditional territory in October 2021. Justice Michael Tammen emphasized the need for a jail sentence, citing the significant disruption caused to workers and the construction process.
Chief Dtsa’hyl was convicted of criminal contempt for defying a court order to stay away from the pipeline site. During the protest, he and his supporters seized heavy equipment, disabled machinery by cutting wires and removing batteries, and blockaded a road to a work camp for two days. The camp housed several hundred workers who relied on the road for essential resources.
The court heard that the disruption caused significant inconvenience to both the workers and the ongoing pipeline project. The sentence is part of the broader tension between Wet’suwet’en leaders and the Coastal GasLink project, which has been a focal point of opposition to the pipeline in the region.
