Taking It to the Shareholders: Enviro, First Nations Rally for Imperial Metals

Environmental groups, First Nations representatives and concerned citizens rally outside mining company AGM

by Wilderness Committee/ Friends of Clayoquot Sound

VANCOUVER – The Wilderness Committee, Friends of Clayoquot Sound, and Clayoquot Action joined representatives from the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations and other concerned citizens in Vancouver today to peacefully protest planned mining projects in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Vancouver-based Imperial Metals Corporation – the company exploring options for the Catface (copper) and Fandora (gold) mines – is holding their Annual General Meeting at the Terminal City Club this afternoon.

The proposed Catface and Fandora mine sites are in Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht territories (respectively), and could have devastating impacts on water quality, ecology, and human health in the region.

"We are here to send Imperial Metals a clear message that mining is unacceptable in Clayoquot Sound, and that environmental values and First Nations' rights and concerns must be respected," said Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner with the Wilderness Committee.

Clayoquot Action, a newly-formed group, has identified mining as one of the most serious threats to Clayoquot's biocultural diversity. Opposing Imperial Metals' proposal is at the heart of their efforts to protect the region.

"These mines would damage the landscape and present a toxic risk to the salmon that feed the old-growth forests – a toxic legacy that would endure for centuries," said Dan Lewis of Clayoquot Action.

The proposed mines are also contentious among local First Nations, and members of the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations were at the rally to share their messages.

"Imperial's proposed Fandora mine would have negative impacts on our Nuu-chah-nulth ways and our efforts to ensure the well-being of our Tla-o-qui-aht people and our environment," said Tla-o-qui-aht Councillor Terry Dorward.

The Friends of Clayoquot Sound (FOCS), originally formed in the late 1970s to fight destructive logging in the region, organized a bus from Tofino to bring local citizens to the rally.

"We will take any necessary actions to keep this destructive and unsustainable practice out of Clayoquot Sound. We've been holding the line since 1979, and we will continue to do so," said FOCS campaigner Emery Hartley.

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For Immediate Release - May 29, 2013
For more information, contact:

Torrance Coste, Wilderness Committee
Emery Hartley, Friends of Clayoquot Sound
Dan Lewis, Clayoquot Action
Terry Dorward, Tla-o-qui-aht Councillor

The Wilderness Committee is Canada's largest membership-based, citizen-funded wilderness preservation organization. We work for the preservation of Canadian and international wilderness through research and grassroots education. The Wilderness Committee works on the ground to achieve ecologically sustainable communities.

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