Category Archives: Forests

Forests, Justice

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

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  

‘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

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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Forests

Community Forest Cooperative seeks proposals to create products from local wood

By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative (CCFC) is hoping to reduce logging on Cortes Island by developing more wood products locally.

The organization, in partnership with the local Klahoose First Nation, holds a community forest tenure with the BC Ministry of Forests, covering about 30 per cent of the crown land on the island, according to CCFC President Carrie Saxifrage. Each year the partnership needs to harvest a demonstrable portion of trees under its tenure.

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Forests, Politics

Why the NDP Cleared a Union Local’s Pro-Eby Effort

By Zak Vescera,  The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Vancouver Island union local is behind a letter that sparked an investigation into David Eby’s NDP leadership campaign and complaints  from disqualified rival Anjali Appadurai of a double standard. 

BC NDP chief electoral  officer Elizabeth Cull said she spent weeks investigating the source of  the letter, printed on United Steelworkers’ letterhead, that urged  members to join the NDP to support Eby’s leadership bid. 

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