First Nations protest on 2 N.S. highways as tensions escalate over cannabis raids

sir thomas more than a dozen RCMP officers were trapped slow a block up and traffic was rerouted on a john roy major ness Breton highway Thursday morning as community members protested a police raid on a Mi'kmaw cannabis shop.

Employees of the Sikku Shop on Highway 4 in Potlotek First Nation said RCMP arrived early in the morning before the shop opened and broke down the door.

They loaded a U-Haul trailer with cannabis products, shelves and drink coolers and then took off, leaving other officers and their vehicles behind.

Eight RCMP vehicles were blocked in at the scene for about four hours as community members gathered on the road.

Later in the morning, other RCMP vehicles arrived at the scene, and the officers who had remained got out of their vehicles and walked out of the blockade carrying rifles and duffel bags.

The officers left quickly in unmarked SUVs as community members whooped and hollered.

Potlotek band councillor Mary Johnson said the community plans to maintain the blockade until police return the products taken from the store.

Johnson said community members gathered after the raid to support each other.

“We’re just having a peaceful protest and want to be heard that the RCMP can’t just come into our community and do what they want to do.”

Shop employee Raylene Boyce said she's glad community members are supporting the store owner and workers.

“It’s not just a job. It’s family," she said.

Traffic was backed up on Highway 4, one of two routes between Sydney and the Canso Causeway, as a result of the closure. Highway 105 between Sydney and the causeway remains open.

RCMP say officers were executing a search warrant at the store.

An RCMP spokesperson said in a statement that people "have a protected right to lawfully, peacefully and safely assemble," and that crimes against people or property will not be tolerated.

The statement noted that the RCMP's liaison team is engaged and "communications are ongoing with community leaders."

Meanwhile, members of Sipekne'katik First Nation have blocked one southbound lane of Highway 102 — the main highway linking Halifax and northern Nova Scotia.

The protest, which began around noon Thursday, was announced on Facebook by Chief Michelle Glasgow.

The post said "it's not about 'weed shops' being raided. It's about the government asserting jurisdiction over our communities and over our unceded Mi'kmaq lands."

The blockades occur as tensions escalate in some Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw communities over raids on cannabis stores.

RCMP have been cracking down in recent months on what the police force calls “illegal” cannabis stores, seizing products largely from First Nations stores and issuing tickets.

RCMP conducted inspections at five cannabis stores on Eskasoni First Nation, Potlotek First Nation, Paqtnkek First Nation, Waycobah First Nation and Digby in early March.

In response, Sipekne'katik set up checkpoints at the community's entrances and exits. Sipekne’katik has also banned some provincial politicians — including Premier Tim Houston — from band lands.

In December, the provincial justice minister called on police agencies to prioritize cannabis enforcement, and asked for the co-operation of 13 Mi’kmaq chiefs to allow police to deal with the “growing public safety problem” of illegal cannabis sales.

But some Mi'kmaw leaders say the authority to sell cannabis at dispensaries in their communities is protected by treaty rights.

The question of whether Mi'kmaq have treaty rights to sell cannabis outside of federal and provincial regulations has never been fully adjudicated in Nova Scotia.

In one 2024 case involving a number of dispensaries in Millbrook, a judge threw out a treaty right challenge at an early stage in the proceedings, but left open the door for a case built on a "stronger" foundation.

MORE TOP STORIES

Add some “good” to your morning and evening.

Get the latest top stories from across Nova Scotia in your inbox every weekday.

---

---