All posts by De Clarke

De Clarke is a sailor, photographer, retired software engineer and intermittent author who since the late 70’s has published both technical writing and essays on various topics ranging from feminism to technology and environmental issues. She has lived on Cortes since late 2011.

Timber Industry Feeling the Heat?

[OPINION/EDITORIAL] Public opinion and Federal and Provincial policy are finally swinging (at the eleventh hour) towards protection of the pathetic remnants of BC’s old growth forest and possibly some reform of forest management practise. In response, the timber/pulp industry appears to be mounting a last-ditch PR effort to defend its traditional extractive model and discredit its most vocal critics.

One fingerprint of this effort can be found in a recent Times-Colonist opinion/editorial by Alice Palmer. Published on April 20th, the article reassures readers that

The supposed “fact” that less than three per cent of B.C.’s productive old growth remains standing, and the implicit suggestion that we’re about to lose that too, are both patently untrue.

There is actually much more old growth left, and the majority of it is protected from logging.

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Farewell To Trude’s Café

It was a beautiful time; you know, there’s these blips in history and you don’t realize that when it’s happening, how special it is. — Lovena Harvey

On February 9th 2022, Whaletown neighbours near the Robertson/Whaletown intersection were alarmed by an unusual sight: the old “Trude’s Café” building was on fire.

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Activity at Gorge Harbour Log Dump

Back in December 2021 a significant upgrade was taking place at the Gorge Harbour log dump (East end of the harbour). Heavy equipment had been brought in; grading and filling were in progress and some trees had been cut to widen the access road.

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Cortes at Fairy Creek: In Their Own Words

[From the Archives: A series of programs originally broadcast daily between Dec 13 and 17, 2021]

I mean, I’ve been in cut blocks quite a lot before, I’ve been around that sort of stuff quite a lot, but I’ve never seen it the way I did when I was at Fairy Creek, you know, feeling the misery of the land and the devastation there, like on a very personal level.

— Dani

Most people are probably aware of the protest and blockade at Fairy Creek on Vancouver island. For over a year, forest defenders have blocked a logging road to prevent logging company Teal Jones from cutting intact old growth areas. For this special feature. I did a little oral history with seven local people who went to Fairy Creek to join that blockade.

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Update From Fairy Creek: interview with Kathleen Code

[Kathleen Code is is a spokesperson for the Rainforest Flying Squad and other land defenders attempting to protect old growth areas at Fairy Creek. She founded the legal team, and is also a member of their media team. Since joining the effort in August, 2020, she’s worked closely with elder Bill Jones to understand the situation of the Pacheedaht First Nation, in particular their interactions with industrial forest company Teal Jones and the NDP government. I interviewed Kathy on December 3rd 2021, asking her for an update to round out the “Cortes At Fairy Creek” story. This is a lightly edited transcript of that interview.]

Continue reading Update From Fairy Creek: interview with Kathleen Code