August 8th to 11th - Clayoquot Sound's Wild Weekend Fast Approaching

Clayoquot Wild weekend 8-10 August 

by FOCS

Remember Clayoquot Summer 1993? Were you here? It was a heady time, and it changed the world.

This year is the 20th anniversary, and we’re planning a party!

Twenty years ago thousands rushed to join Friends of Clayoquot Sound to peacefully protest and blockade the bridge that allowed MacMillan Bloedel to devastate clayoquot’s forests.

Their action turned into the largest act of peaceful civil disobedience in Canadian history and continues to influence Canada's environmental movement today.

To honour and celebrate the courage of the blockaders FOCS is holding a “Clayoquot Wild Weekend” from August 8th to 11th. The Clayoquot Wild Weekend will also be a time of reflection and planning as we gear up to confront the ongoing threats to the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve.

Thursday August 8th Clayoquot Café/Social:

Join a panel of key figures, locals and arrestees from the 1993 logging protests as they discuss the events of the 1993 Clayoquot blockades, weaving a colourful tapestry of history! The event will be held in the Community Theatre, tickets are 10$ and are available in advance from the Mermaid Tales bookshop and from our board members some tickets will also be available at the door, but don’t wait to the last minute!

On the Panel and their roles in 1993:

• Valerie Langer: FOCS Forests Campaigner
• Tzeporah Berman: FOCS Blockade Coordinator
• Elizabeth May: organized Sierra Club Canada’s coast to coast Clayoquot Express rail caravan in 1993
• Chris Hatch: key FOCS volunteer
• Karen Mahon: Greenpeace organizer, key ally
• John Cashore: NDP Minister of Environment and later Aboriginal Affairs
• Terry Brown: arrestee
• Maureen Fraser: Tofino local, FOCS supporter
• Joe Martin: key ally and Tla-o-qui-aht cultural leader

August 9th: Outdoor Concert and Evening Market in Tofino

Join FOCS on the Village Green in Tofino for a fine evening of music, dancing, a night market, and guests speaking about the future of Clayoquot Sound! Our headline artist is Bob Bossin, writer of the song Sulphur Passage! Check out the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxGjtMk7CNY

August 10th: Day at Kennedy Lake’s Rainbow Beach

Join FOCS out at Kennedy Lake for a photo op on the Kennedy River bridge, for some rainforest walks, frank discussion about the future of the Sound, and bring your instruments for jamming! Self sufficient camping may be available at Rainbow Beach from the 8th to the 11th of August, please contact emery@focs.ca with any questions you may have!