A Federal Court ruled that Canada’s Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, failed to protect habitats of at-risk migratory birds in old growth logging areas. Chief Justice Paul Crampton stated the Minister’s decision to limit protection to areas where nests were found ‘was neither reasonable or tenable.’
Continue reading Fairy Creek: Federal Court Rules Canada Failed To Protect ‘At-Risk’ Birds In Old Growth Logging Areas
In 2020, logging company Teal Jones was engaged in cutting irreplaceable, old-growth, temperate rainforest in the Fairy Creek area of their lease on Vancouver island. In response, substantial numbers of “forest defenders” gathered to protest and obstruct the old growth cut… and local history was made.
Protestors blocked the access road to Teal Cedar‘s cut blocks from 2020 through early 2021. The number of people arrested exceeded 1100 — which, according to CBC, made it “the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.”
Cortes Currents has followed the story of the Fairy Creek protest as it developed; many Cortes residents spent time at the protest encampment, or are closely connected to people who participated. We continue that coverage now, with an update on the highly litigious aftermath of the blockade action.
Continue reading Fairy Creek: A Litigious AftermathHow our local government works – Last in a series of 5 articles from the Feb 9 SRD Board Meetings
At their February 9th meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board voted against setting aside $50,000 to support community climate action planning initiatives.
The motion was brought forward by Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson, who suggested the project fit into their strategic objectives for 2022. (See page 43 of linked budget document)
Continue reading SRD Board votes against funding local community climate action planning[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.
Continue reading Cortes at Fairy Creek: In Their Own WordsThe RCMP returned to Fairy Creek last Friday, October 16. A post on the Fairy Creek Blockade Facebook page states 7 cars drove up, and 15 officers wearing blue standard-issue rain gear walked into the Forest Defender Headquarters.
Continue reading The RCMP returned to Fairy Creek
