Forestry workers from across Vancouver Island took to the streets Thursday to protest a recent B.C. provincial government decision to defer old-growth logging for the next two years.
The Dec. 9 rally in Port Alberni was the second, and much larger, in two weeks designed to bring attention to the province乌鸦传媒檚 deferral of logging on up to 2.6 million hectares of forest identified as rare, ancient or sustaining big trees. A five-person technical advisory panel came up with the deferral area. Provincial government estimates are that the move will cut 4,500 jobs, but the Council of Forest Industries estimates the number could be as high as 18,000.
Well over 100 forestry workers, family members and supporters lined Johnston Road in front of Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne乌鸦传媒檚 office during the two-hour rally. Port Alberni RCMP members showed up shortly after logging trucks blocked the road in both directions. After explaining to organizer Tamara Meggitt that Johnston Road is technically part of Highway 4 and it was important to give traffic a way to get through, vehicles were moved and the protest continued.
乌鸦传媒淲e support the right to peaceful protest,乌鸦传媒� said Sgt. Peter Dionne, operations support NCO at the Port Alberni detachment. Members attended because the highway was blocked and presented a safety issue, but Dionne said protesters were peaceful and made adjustments when asked.
Meggitt, from Royston in the Comox Valley, said talking, emailing and small, localized rallies haven乌鸦传媒檛 been effective in grabbing political attention.
乌鸦传媒淲e haven乌鸦传媒檛 had any answers and there are still no supports in place, so we are here in a larger capacity to make a little extra noise in hopes that we can be heard,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e weeks away from Christmas, many people in the forest industry have already lost their jobs and they don乌鸦传媒檛 have a plan.乌鸦传媒�
Meggitt said she wasn乌鸦传媒檛 aware if anyone in the Alberni Valley has lost their job as a result of the two-year deferral. She said the stoppage means B.C. Timber Sales has cancelled contracts, and that has left uncertainty for the future.
乌鸦传媒淭he government has passed through blanket policies. They乌鸦传媒檝e done so without socio-economic studies and without proper consultation,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 across the board when it comes to consultation: that is communities, that is industry, workers, First Nations, all of us.乌鸦传媒�
Larry Baird, a Yuulu?il?ath (Ucluelet) First Nation member and 40-year veteran of the forestry industry, was driving through Port Alberni when he happened upon Thursday乌鸦传媒檚 rally. He was compelled to stop and support present-day forestry workers. Baird said the provincial government did not consult with any of the Maanulth First Nations, which are already facing deferrals in their territories in Clayoquot Sound.
Larry Spencer of Port Alberni has been working in the logging industry for 45 years and is a part owner in a forestry company. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 fourth generation Port Alberni. We乌鸦传媒檙e good, hard working members of the community,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淭here was no consultation乌鸦传媒攏othing. Just let乌鸦传媒檚 do it because of乌鸦传媒 protest movement that was essentially started elsewhere. That乌鸦传媒檚 the Fairy Creek protests,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淭he government wants to take people that are hard working and pay good taxes in their community and the economy and kill that industry.乌鸦传媒�
Spencer said the effects of the government乌鸦传媒檚 decision is far-reaching: Port Alberni乌鸦传媒檚 sawmills all use old growth timber for processing, as does Catalyst Paper, a mill operated by Paper Excellence. 乌鸦传媒淵ou want to just stop all that?乌鸦传媒�
Spencer estimates 50 percent of the timber cut right now is old growth. 乌鸦传媒淓verybody乌鸦传媒檚 going to second growth, but it乌鸦传媒檚 not there yet.乌鸦传媒�
Brad Cyr moved from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island to Port Alberni a week ago in order to take a union job. A third-generation logger working as a grapple yarder, Cyr said he came out to the rally to support his fellow forestry workers.
乌鸦传媒淚 work in the bush. I乌鸦传媒檓 about to retire, but I乌鸦传媒檓 thinking about the people coming up in the industry. Especially in these small communities, it乌鸦传媒檚 sad,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 going to be really hard on a lot of people. They will lose their homes, they乌鸦传媒檒l have to move, take a low paying job.乌鸦传媒�
A faller by trade, Cyr said he only works with old growth. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 more labour intensive. I乌鸦传媒檓 old school,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淪econd growth is more mechanized. There aren乌鸦传媒檛 as many jobs in it. The younger people乌鸦传媒un the machinery.乌鸦传媒�
Shane Moyen and his two young children, Madison and Keaton, sported colourful, handmade placards proclaiming 乌鸦传媒淭rees are renewable,乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淔orestry Feeds my Family!乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒淔orestry keeps a roof over my head!乌鸦传媒� Moyen drives a logging truck for a company at Franklin River and has been working in the industry for 25 years.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 agree with what the government is proposing,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 think it乌鸦传媒檚 a little over the top. It乌鸦传媒檚 a small percentage of old growth that is harvested annually and there is no reason why we shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 be able to carry on harvesting sustainably into the future.乌鸦传媒�
Moyen brought his children to the rally so they could see first hand what he is standing up for. 乌鸦传媒淭hese guys need to know what it乌鸦传媒檚 about,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒漈hese guys need to know where their food comes from and how we put a roof over their head.乌鸦传媒�
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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