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We are so grateful to the thousands of people who helped make the United For Old-Growth march and rally a huge success! Check out these highlights!
Speakers, demonstrators call on Premier Eby to fulfill 100-day pledge and accelerate action for at-risk old growth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2023
Lekwungen Territories (Victoria, B.C.) – On his 100th day in office, Premier David Eby was faced with a united call from thousands of people demanding he fulfill his pledge and work with First Nations to protect at-risk old growth and reform forest stewardship.
Photos and videos are available here.
Thousands marched through the downtown core of the province’s capital, led by Indigenous Peoples and drummers. Demonstrators raised banners, mobile murals and 3D art pieces through the streets, featuring endangered forest species. The march culminated in a rally in front of the BC Legislature. Speakers included Indigenous leaders and land defenders, scientists, and a surprise musical appearance from Neil Young.
“Old growth forests are vital for the health our lands and waters, our salmon and our culture, and the days of cutting them down need to end,” said walas ‘Namugwis, David Knox, a Kwakwaka’wakw Hereditary Chief and member of the Kwakiutl Nation. “Too much land in our territory has been destroyed, and this continues without the free, prior and informed consent of our chiefs and people.”
More than 220 organizations have now signed onto the United for Old Growth declaration, including the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU), the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association and the BC Teachers’ Federation Committee for Action on Social Justice. Initial signatories to the declaration are the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), Elders for Ancient Trees, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and Wilderness Committee.
“Old growth forests are crucial ecosystems that humanity depends on—an irreplaceable result of millions of years of evolution,” said Janelle Lapointe, and Afro-Indigenous climate justice and Indigenous rights organizer from the Stellat’en First Nation. “We must reject status quo politics that tell us we must choose between providing for our families and protecting the land, watersheds and forests that sustain us.”
Signatories and participants in this march and rally called on Premier David Eby and the BC NDP government to honour their promise to move faster to protect old growth forests and reform forest stewardship across the province. Today aligns with Eby’s 100th day in office, and demonstrators are looking to the Premier to take immediate, concrete steps to put at-risk old growth forests off limits to industrial logging – as a central part in fulfilling his 100-day pledge to accelerate action on old growth.
“Human beings have become the dominant factor altering the physical, chemical and biological properties of the planet on a geological scale,” said David Suzuki, biologist and broadcaster. “In a critical moment when climate change and mass species extinction are undeniable, it’s an intergenerational crime to trash these priceless treasures for short term economic and political benefits.”
The BC NDP government promised to implement all 14 recommendations from the Old Growth Strategic Review in 2020, including to immediately stop (or defer) logging in the most at-risk old growth forests. The recommendations had specific implementation timelines, ranging from six months for deferrals to three years for establishing a robust monitoring system – but to this day not a single recommendation has been fulfilled, despite recent announcements from the BC government. The majority of the most at-risk old growth forests identified by the Technical Advisory Panel have not yet been deferred, and are still being destroyed.
March and rally organizers say the Declaration will remain a rallying point for old growth and invite more signatories to join to increase momentum and pressure on Premier Eby the B.C. NDP government to fulfill their pledge.
Featured image by Mya Van Woudenberg.
March begins noon from Centennial Square, rally to start 1:30pm at BC Legislature
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2023
Lekwungen Territories (Victoria, B.C.) – Organizers are anticipating high attendance at the United for Old Growth march and rally on Saturday, February 25. The march will feature a strong visual component with banners, mobile murals and 3D art pieces, while the rally will platform Indigenous leaders, land defenders, scientists and musicians.
What: United For Old Growth March and Rally
When: Saturday, February 25. March begins noon at Centennial Square; rally program starts at 1:30 p.m. at BC Legislature
Where: The march and rally are taking place on Lekwungen territories (Victoria, BC). Participants in the march are asked to convene at Centennial Square (Pandora Ave. and Douglas St.) by noon, and walk together to the BC Legislature (Belleville St. and Government St.).
Who: The walk from Centennial Square will be led by First Nations and Indigenous leaders and drummers
Speakers and performers include:
Day-of primary media liaison: Tegan Hansen, tegan@stand.earth, +1 (250) 354-3302 (cell, text, WhatsApp, and Signal)
Photos and videos will be updated here during and immediately after the march and rally
Background:
More than 220 organizations have now signed onto the United for Old Growth declaration, including First Nations, labour groups, teachers’ associations, tourism businesses, and environmental organizations. Signatories and participants in this march and rally are calling on Premier David Eby and the BC NDP government to honour their promise to move faster to protect old growth forests and reform forest stewardship across the province. February 25 aligns with Eby’s 100th day in office, and demonstrators are looking to the Premier to take immediate, concrete steps to put at-risk old growth forests off limits to industrial logging – as a central part in fulfilling his 100-day pledge to accelerate action on old growth.
Additional contacts:
Torrance Coste, torrance@wildernesscommittee.org, +1 (250) 516-9900
Jackie Larkin, jlarkin@gddc.com, +1 (250) 478-7604
Jens Wieting, jens@sierraclub.bc.ca, +1 (604) 354-5312
Poster design: Emily Thiessen
Organizers expect thousands of demonstrators at the Legislature next weekend
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2023
Unceded Lekwungen Territories (Victoria, B.C.) – Organizers behind the United For Old Growth rally say momentum is building for a giant mobilization in Victoria in less than ten days. Rallying behind a declaration signed by more than 210 organizations, participants in this march and rally will call on Premier David Eby and the BC NDP government to honour their promise to move faster to protect old-growth forests and reform forest stewardship across the province.
Signatories include the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU), the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association and the BC Teachers’ Federation Committee for Action on Social Justice. Initial signatories to the declaration are the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), Elders for Ancient Trees, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and Wilderness Committee. Many of the hundreds of endorsing groups are organizing contingents to join the February 25 rally.
“Make no mistake, due to decades of lack of oversight and mismanagement, old growth forests in BC are in a state of disaster,” said Chief James Hobart of the Spuzzum First Nation. “The priority of the BC NDP government seems to be to continue to greenlight the old-growth onslaught, but together we can send a clear message to the NDP and change that light to red.”
The February 25 event will begin with a march from Centennial Square at noon, followed by a rally on the front lawn B.C. Legislature at 1:30 p.m. Rally organizers are inviting everyone to attend and to bring banners and art for the march.
Speakers and performers at the rally include:
The walk from Centennial Square will be led by drummers from local First Nations, and feature a strong artistic component –for several months hundreds of artists and volunteers have been creating banners, mobile murals and 3D art pieces in preparation for the rally.
The United We Stand for Old Growth declaration calls on the BC government to keep its promises, including to immediately halt logging in the most at-risk forests; provide full financial support to First Nations and implement a just transition for forest communities; and ensure all forest-related decisions uphold First Nations Title and Rights.
“Old-growth forests are a critical element to prevent the worst ravages of the climate crisis. Not only are they carbon sinks, but they stop erosion, prevent forest fires and inhibit flooding,” said Tara Ehrcke, Ditta Cross, and Sarah Newton of the BC Teachers’ Federation Committee for Action on Social Justice. “We owe it to those already suffering from climate catastrophes, and to all the world’s children, to do everything in our power to maintain a liveable planet. The government has set up a blueprint for primary forest protection: we have to ensure they act on it.”
The declaration is gaining steam ahead of a February 25 march and rally, as thousands of people prepare to come together for old-growth forests on the unceded territories of Lekwungen-speaking peoples in Victoria, B.C. The rally is being held on Eby’s 100th day in office, aligning with the timeline of his pledge to accelerate action on old growth within his first 100 days.
“The strategic review panel made its recommendations long ago. Why are logging companies, even the government’s own logging company, BC Timber Sales, still logging in deferrals? This is a pointless and harmful game. The stakes could not be higher; the very future of our children is at risk. BC has already been experiencing devastating floods, landslides, and forest fires; what more must happen for government and big business to stand in solidarity with their fellow humans and the ecosystems that keep us all alive?” said organizers with Old Growth Revylution, which is hosting a parallel rally in Revelstoke on February 25.
The BC NDP government promised to implement all 14 recommendations from the Old Growth Strategic Review in 2020, including to immediately stop (or defer) logging in the most at-risk old-growth forests. The recommendations had specific implementation timelines, ranging from six months for deferrals to three years for establishing a robust monitoring system – but to this day not a single recommendation has been fulfilled, and old growth and at-risk forests mapped for deferral are still being destroyed. Over the same period, over 1,100 people have been arrested while peacefully defending old-growth forests in multiple regions of B.C.
The United We Stand for Old Growth Declaration remains open to additional signatories. Groups are encouraged to sign prior to the rally on February 25 and attend the demonstration with their community.
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Contact:
For rally logistics questions, including accessibility:
Torrance Coste, torrance@wildernesscommittee.org, +1 (250) 516-9900
Jackie Larkin, jlarkin@gddc.com, +1 (250) 478-7604
For interview:
Chief James Hobart, chief@spuzzumnation.com, + 1 (604) 860-3571
Tara Ehrcke, tara.ehrcke@icloud.com, +1 (250) 886-9386
For other inquiries:
Tegan Hansen, tegan@stand.earth, +1 (250) 354-3302
Jens Wieting, jens@sierraclub.bc.ca, +1 (604) 354-5312
Poster design: Emily Thiessen
But B.C. government old-growth announcement leaves fate of most at-risk old-growth forests uncertain
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2023
VANCOUVER/UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES – Sierra Club BC welcomes the province’s repeal of wording in the Forest and Range Practices Act regulations that prioritizes timber supply over all other forest objectives, including water quality, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity.
“Removing timber bias language from forestry laws can clear the path for the paradigm shift outlined in the Old-Growth panel recommendations the province promised to implement with Indigenous Nations. But we need the promised acceleration in implementation before it’s too late to safeguard at-risk forests and restore degraded forests,” said Jens Wieting, Sierra Club BC’s Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner.
Sierra Club BC is very concerned, however, about the lack of details and transparency on protecting old-growth forests in today’s announcement. In 2021, the province shared expert mapping showing the 2.6 million hectares of old-growth forest in B.C. that is most at-risk, and recommended logging deferrals in those areas. Today’s announcement did not state how much of these forests have been deferred from logging, offering only a broad-brush update on overall old-growth deferrals instead. In April 2022, less than half of the most at-risk old-growth forests were deferred from logging (1.05 million hectares).
“Today’s announcement leaves people in B.C. uncertain about whether we are safeguarding the most at-risk old-growth forests in this province, which are also among the rarest on the planet. We are still stuck at the most basic and urgent step on the path towards full implementation of the promised paradigm-shift in forest stewardship to safeguard biodiversity,” said Shelley Luce, Campaigns Director at Sierra Club BC.
Some more positive steps in today’s announcement include new funding for regional land-use planning as well as for manufacturing jobs that will create more jobs per tree cut in B.C. These programs can support transition in the forestry sector, provided that solutions to safeguard at-risk forests and restore degraded landscapes are in place.
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Media contacts:
Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Climate Campaigner | Sierra Club BC
jens@sierraclub.bc.ca, (604) 354-5312
Featured photo by TJ Watt/Ancient Forest Alliance.
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