Category Archives: Forests

Community, Environment, Forests

Bruce Ellingsen: 2022 recipient of the Jo Ann Green Award

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Every year, the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) give the Jo Ann Green Award to a Cortes Islander who has made a significant contribution to the environmental wellbeing of the community. Bruce Ellingsen is this year’s recipient.

“Jo Ann Green was an exemplary environmentalist who came to Cortes in 1969, and she immediately became involved in social environmental activities on the island,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI. 

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Forests, Justice

Police officer quits task force over concerns about RCMP tactics at Fairy Creek

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By Jen Osborne / Rochelle Baker, National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At least one police officer joined protesters, journalists and politicians raising alarm bells over RCMP enforcement tactics during the peak of conflict at the Fairy Creek old-growth blockades in B.C. during the summer of 2021.

The officer, a former member of the RCMP’s specialized team that deals with resource extraction protests, resigned from the task force over concerns about “unjustifiable” police behaviour during an August crackdown on activists, a freedom-of-information (FOI) request shows.

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Forests, Justice

Fairy Creek RCMP whistleblower’s concerns reflect a pattern of questionable enforcement at industry protests

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Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Concerns over questionable RCMP tactics raised by an officer involved in the crackdown at the Fairy Creek old-growth blockades in the summer of 2021 are not surprising, says a lawyer representing dozens of activists.

There’s been no shortage of legal proceedings or social media videos focused on the treatment of protesters, said lawyer Karen Mirsky, who is the president of the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA).

But it is remarkable an officer was willing to risk voicing concerns about police behaviour to superiors, Mirsky said.

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Arts, Forests

Raising $10,000 for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island, two reasons why  

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‘Giving Tuesday’ is just five days away. The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society (FTCCIS) is trying to raise $10,000 for the valuation and assessment which will hopefully lead to their purchasing two parcels of forest. There are actually several components to this story. This morning we are going to talk to two young women involved with the new Children’s Forest Video made for this fund raising drive. 

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Arts, Forests

The New Children’s Forest Video

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The Cortes Children’s Forest Trust has just released an incredible video, as part of fundraiser that will end of Tuesday November 29, 2022.  As the audio is strong enough to stand on its’ own, I am playing it in today’s program.

If you live on Cortes, you may recognise a few of the voices:  Al Huuskonen, Andy Ellingsen, Bruce Ellingsen, Christine Robinson, Daniel Tucker, Emma Mathieu, Kai Harvey, Kiera Tsaknoas, Paul Stamets, Tosh Harvey, Tzeporah Berman, or Zyla Schmidt.

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