Forestry workers from across Vancouver Island took to the streets Thursday to protest a recent B.C. provincial government decision to defer old-growth logging for the next two years.
The Dec. 9 rally in Port Alberni was the second, and much larger, in two weeks designed to bring attention to the province鈥檚 deferral of logging on up to 2.6 million hectares of forest identified as rare, ancient or sustaining big trees. A five-person technical advisory panel came up with the deferral area. Provincial government estimates are that the move will cut 4,500 jobs, but the Council of Forest Industries estimates the number could be as high as 18,000.
Well over 100 forestry workers, family members and supporters lined Johnston Road in front of Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne鈥檚 office during the two-hour rally. Port Alberni RCMP members showed up shortly after logging trucks blocked the road in both directions. After explaining to organizer Tamara Meggitt that Johnston Road is technically part of Highway 4 and it was important to give traffic a way to get through, vehicles were moved and the protest continued.
鈥淲e support the right to peaceful protest,鈥� said Sgt. Peter Dionne, operations support NCO at the Port Alberni detachment. Members attended because the highway was blocked and presented a safety issue, but Dionne said protesters were peaceful and made adjustments when asked.
Meggitt, from Royston in the Comox Valley, said talking, emailing and small, localized rallies haven鈥檛 been effective in grabbing political attention.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had any answers and there are still no supports in place, so we are here in a larger capacity to make a little extra noise in hopes that we can be heard,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e weeks away from Christmas, many people in the forest industry have already lost their jobs and they don鈥檛 have a plan.鈥�
Meggitt said she wasn鈥檛 aware if anyone in the Alberni Valley has lost their job as a result of the two-year deferral. She said the stoppage means B.C. Timber Sales has cancelled contracts, and that has left uncertainty for the future.
鈥淭he government has passed through blanket policies. They鈥檝e done so without socio-economic studies and without proper consultation,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 across the board when it comes to consultation: that is communities, that is industry, workers, First Nations, all of us.鈥�
Larry Baird, a Yuulu?il?ath (Ucluelet) First Nation member and 40-year veteran of the forestry industry, was driving through Port Alberni when he happened upon Thursday鈥檚 rally. He was compelled to stop and support present-day forestry workers. Baird said the provincial government did not consult with any of the Maanulth First Nations, which are already facing deferrals in their territories in Clayoquot Sound.
Larry Spencer of Port Alberni has been working in the logging industry for 45 years and is a part owner in a forestry company. 鈥淚鈥檓 fourth generation Port Alberni. We鈥檙e good, hard working members of the community,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here was no consultation鈥攏othing. Just let鈥檚 do it because of鈥 protest movement that was essentially started elsewhere. That鈥檚 the Fairy Creek protests,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he government wants to take people that are hard working and pay good taxes in their community and the economy and kill that industry.鈥�
Spencer said the effects of the government鈥檚 decision is far-reaching: Port Alberni鈥檚 sawmills all use old growth timber for processing, as does Catalyst Paper, a mill operated by Paper Excellence. 鈥淵ou want to just stop all that?鈥�
Spencer estimates 50 percent of the timber cut right now is old growth. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 going to second growth, but it鈥檚 not there yet.鈥�
Brad Cyr moved from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island to Port Alberni a week ago in order to take a union job. A third-generation logger working as a grapple yarder, Cyr said he came out to the rally to support his fellow forestry workers.
鈥淚 work in the bush. I鈥檓 about to retire, but I鈥檓 thinking about the people coming up in the industry. Especially in these small communities, it鈥檚 sad,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be really hard on a lot of people. They will lose their homes, they鈥檒l have to move, take a low paying job.鈥�
A faller by trade, Cyr said he only works with old growth. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more labour intensive. I鈥檓 old school,鈥� he said. 鈥淪econd growth is more mechanized. There aren鈥檛 as many jobs in it. The younger people鈥un the machinery.鈥�
Shane Moyen and his two young children, Madison and Keaton, sported colourful, handmade placards proclaiming 鈥淭rees are renewable,鈥� 鈥淔orestry Feeds my Family!鈥� and 鈥淔orestry keeps a roof over my head!鈥� Moyen drives a logging truck for a company at Franklin River and has been working in the industry for 25 years.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 agree with what the government is proposing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a little over the top. It鈥檚 a small percentage of old growth that is harvested annually and there is no reason why we shouldn鈥檛 be able to carry on harvesting sustainably into the future.鈥�
Moyen brought his children to the rally so they could see first hand what he is standing up for. 鈥淭hese guys need to know what it鈥檚 about,鈥� he said.
鈥漈hese guys need to know where their food comes from and how we put a roof over their head.鈥�
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
Like us on and follow us on
