Back to Clayoquot: 20th Anniversary Commemoration of the 'War in the Woods'

Celebrating ’93: Clayoquot Wild Weekend August 8th to 11th 

by FOCS

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 the Canadian 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!

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 will be available at Rainbow Beach from the 8th to the 11th of August, please contact emery@focs.ca to reserve a campsite!

Thank you to organizers of the 1993 blockades 

There have been several articles published this year about the 1993 Clayoquot protests and blockades. Articles lauding the strength of numbers and the visibility of the event, and articles about the beauty of Clayoquot Sound that inspired the protesters. We believe it is important not only to acknowledge the events of 1993 but also to honour the people who engaged with the movement. Here is a list of key organizers, contributors and actors; if there are any errors or omissions please inform us and we will be happy to make corrections for future publications. We would also like to take this opportunity to invite anybody who has stories or pictures from 1993 to share them with us and the 1993 community by email: info@focs.ca or on the facebook group: http://ow.ly/mQbEZ


Wilderness in Clayoquot

A couple of weeks ago I went on a solo hike along the coast of Flores Island. Flores Island is one of two large islands found in Clayoquot Sound and remains one of the few big islands off the west coast of Vancouver Island that has yet to be logged. The Wild Side Wilderness Trail runs along 11km of Flores Island beaches and ancient rainforest. The lucky hiker may encounter bears, wolves and in my case, humpback whales feeding along the beaches! The islands pristine coastline is an awe inspiring reminder of how special Clayoquot Sound truly is.

Walk through a clearcut however, or read about the devastating effects of mining, and we are rapidly reminded of how precariously Clayoquot Sound perches on the edge of these wholesale industrial activities. Friends of Clayoquot Sound fights to protect the ecological integrity of Clayoquot Sound and is indebted to our ongoing supporters whose contributions allow us to keep eyes on the sound and boots on the ground. If you have not already done so, please consider becoming a monthly donor and supporting the work we do.

Sincerely,
-Emery Hartley, FOCS campaigner, tree hugger and nature lover.