CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter – Using interviews, video footage and written accounts, CKTZ News has drawn up a Fairy Creek chronology. 

“Vancouver was once covered in trees that had the girth of a good third of my house.  Those forests are gone,” Rainforest Flying Squad spokesperson Carol Tootill told CKTZ News. 

Origins of the protest

She and about 30 activists from Victoria assembled at Fairy Creek on August 9th, 2020, after being informed it was the last intact watershed on Vancouver Island. 

They informed the Pacheedaht First Nation before throwing up the first logging blockade.  

“It’s about stopping the logging in the tree farm license that Teal Jones owns and is licensed to log that area. They are currently taking legal action to stop us from protecting the old growth that they want to destroy,” explained Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones, in a video.

He spoke of the ancient forests like Fairy Creek as holy places, where his people used to go for prayer and meditation. 

The day that video was released, Teal Jones obtained an injunction requiring the protestors to step aside at Fairy Creek.

Asking the protesters to leave 

On April 12th, 2021 alleged Hereditary Chief Frank Queesto Jones and Chief Coun. Jeff Jones of the Pacheedaht First Nation issued a joint press release asking the protesters to leave.  

“We do not welcome or support unsolicited involvement or interference by others in our territory, including third-party activism. Pacheedaht needs to be left in peace to engage in our community-led stewardship planning process, so that we can determine our own way forward as a strong and independent Nation.” 

The Hereditary Chief’s involvement was significant, as the Chief Counsellor’s legal authority is limited to the reserve.

Elder Jones responded, “Frank Jones claiming himself as a Heredity Chief is false. He is not eligible to make the claim for the Jones family line, and is not informed by the hereditary system amongst our peoples. In fact, the Jones family is not originally from the territory, and have no chief rights to the San Juan valley.” 

He said the Peter(s) family are the governing authority responsible for this valley and 18-year-old Victor Peter, who wants to preserve the forests, is the Hereditary Chief of the Pacheedaht Nation.”  

Victor Peter confirmed this. 

Enforcing the Injunction

On May 18th, the RCMP moved in to enforce the injunction. In what would soon become an almost daily routine, they arrested five protesters.  

On June 7th alleged Hereditary Chief Frank Queesto Jones and Chief Coun. Jeff Jones signed an agreement with the Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht Nations, declaring that they were stewards over the forests, fisheries and other resources within their respective territories. 

Two days later,  Premier John Horgan announced his government would respect their decision to defer old growth logging in Fairy Creek and the Central Walbran for two years, while they develop a stewardship plan. 

Not long after that, Rainforest Flying Squad spokesperson Saul Arbess told CKTZ News. “We don’t know where that plan stands, or what level of development it’s at. However we thought it was reasonable for us to have a look at it before we made a decision to leave. There are other interests with the Pacheedaht and the Ditidaht. We are in the larger traditional territory of the Pacheedaht at the invitation of Elder Bill Jones of the Pacheedaht. He has continued to be steadfast, has certainly asked us not to leave and the request for us to leave was never discussed with the people. Their community was not consulted on how they should respond to us.”  

PR and Nonsense

“The PR and nonsense out there is incredible, but people are waking up to the fact we are now losing the last of our great ecosystems,” said Tootill. “Our government is deliberately creating all these talk and log scenarios.” 

She expressed her frustration with the government’s four engagement reviews during 2019. After that, they spread out the Old Growth Strategic Review – ‘the engagement survey of all engagement surveys” – for a year. 

“And now they’ve started up another study group. They don’t ever just stop the logging and do the studying or engagement. It is all to keep the industry going,” said Tootill. 

She added, “Look at the diddly-squat revenues from this industry, then compare it to the costs of running the Ministry of Forests, and then add on that all the expenses we now have with drought, flooding and water quality. Scientists know that the best water filtration system on the planet is old growth forests. So we have a few hundred watersheds in BC, many slated for logging.”  

On June 29th , Chief Coun. Jeff Jones reiterated his request for the protesters to leave. 

“With old growth logging in the Fairy Creek watershed now deferred for two years, an integrated resource management planning process underway and with the increased risk of forest fires due to high temperatures, there is no reason for the protesters to continue to occupy our traditional territory.”

Elder Bill Jones immediately responded that the protesters would not reduce their presence until the logging stops and RCMP actions cease. 

“I would respectfully remind you that the recent NDP government deferrals in the Fairy Creek and Walbran areas do not include any of the stands of old-growth forest we are currently protecting,” he said.

As of Monday July 12th, the RCMP have arrested 403 people. They have also kept a large contingent of officers, vehicles and helicopters deployed at Fairy Creek.

“It is insane. Think of the cost of this,” said Tootill. 

Links of Interest

• (Cortes Currents) Visiting Fairy Creek: A Cortes residents impression of the Blockade
• (Cortes Currents) Writing letters to Premier Horgan
• (Cortes Currents) Fairy Creek Blockade is far from over

Top photo credit: picture from Rainforest Flying Squad Press release of April 4, 2021

Sign-up for Cortes Currents email-out:

To receive an emailed catalogue of articles on Cortes Currents, send a (blank) email to subscribe to your desired frequency:

• Daily, (articles posted during the last 24 hours) – cortescurrents-daily+subscribe@cortes.groups.io
• Weekly Digest cortescurrents – cortescurrents-weekly+subscribe@cortes.groups.io