Old-growth forest advocates rallied outside the office of Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar Wednesday, hoping to send a message of change.
“We’re gathering to show the minister of forests that people need to seek an investment in an Indigenous-led, just transition to sustainable jobs, instead of continuing to stand by as industry giants abandon communities and log dwindling old-growth forests,” said Tobyn Neame, forest campaigner for the Wilderness Committee.
“In 2021, on average, 726 hockey-rink-sized swaths of old-growth were logged every single day, and there is no evidence that has dwindled,” Neame said, citing a 2024 report from the province. As per the Ministry of Forests most recent annual harvest rates, the overall rate of old-growth logging has fallen 37 per cent between 2015 and 2021 (from 66,526 hectares to 41,930 hectares), but there is no complete data for the following years, with only prelimiary numbers provided for 2022.
“Stop waffling on old growth” was the message written on signs and accentuated by literal waffles offered to participants.
The group voiced their frustrations with the provincial government, which promised a “paradigm-shifting approach” and greater transparency on forestry management that advocates have yet to see.
“In forest activism, we refer to this as ‘talk and log,’ where the province continues to talk about sustainable forestry while upholding large industry and logging as the status quo,” said Neame.
Awi’nakola Foundation, the Wilderness Committee and Stand.earth hosted the rally, which gathered upwards of 50 advocates on the morning of March 26. They demanded that Parmar “turn his focus away from meeting with logging industry executives and prioritize community-led approaches to protecting what remains of precious old-growth forests.”
The rally attracted support from passersby, who honked in an assumed act of solidarity.
“People overwhelmingly support protecting old-growth, and people have been turning up for years to affirm that, so this is a continuation of all those years of work,” said Tegan Hansen, senior forest campaigner at Stand.earth.
Old-growth protection efforts have spurred some of the largest acts of civil disobedience in B.C. history. In 2021, more than 1,000 people were arrested for involvement in protests over logging in the Fairy Creek watershed east of Sooke.
Participants expressed concerns about forestry management in Sooke, with one participant shouting that Sooke was undergoing “Langford-ification” as more housing development arrives at the expense of greenery.
“We’re a few months into this government’s mandate, so we have enough to look back and reflect on what their priorities are and make sure they know, when they head back to the legislature, that they aren’t meeting their commitments.”
Although a Wednesday morning may be an unusual time for a public demonstration, the group hoped that with Parliament out of session and Parmar's office open, they could give their message directly to the minister. However, upon arrival, they found a sign on the door stating that the office would be closed until 1 p.m.
“We are trying to directly engage with Minister Ravi Parmar. Unfortunately, the minister closed his office today – specifically this morning – to not be here during the rally, and I think that’s a real missed opportunity for him,” Hansen said.
Parmar, who did not attend the event, provided a statement to Sooke News Mirror.
“I am deeply concerned about the livelihoods of forestry workers and their families in communities across British Columbia. These workers are vital to our economy and the well-being of our province,” he said.
“The challenges facing our forest sector require thoughtful, constructive and serious discussions. I spent the last week meeting with and listening to workers, First Nations, business leaders, community leaders and local residents across B.C. I remain committed to working with everyone to ensure the long-term health of our forests and the people who depend on them.”
When speaking to the crowd, advocates spotlighted what they called “an ongoing failure” of the B.C. government to ban logging of old-growth forests and provide transparency on forest management.
“Without that transparency, our work is really difficult. Last March, the government gave us a tidbit of data that essentially said old-growth logging hadn’t changed in rate since the province promised a paradigm shift in how forests are managed.”
Participants echoed these concerns.
“We’re here because we feel the government is not moving fast enough. They made all these promises, and there is some improvement, but it’s still not good enough,” said Yves Parizeau.
The old-growth summary shows that as of Feb. 15, 2024, of the 11,511,564 hectares of old-growth forest in B.C., 34 per cent is protected, while the remainder is not. Twenty per cent of the total old growth is considered available and economical for harvest, while 80 per cent is not. As of November 2021, just under 2.5 million hectares are deferred and protected.
Despite not being able to speak with Parmar directly, Hansen expressed hope for the rally’s cause when addressing the crowd.
“We still have so much responsibility because there are still caribou, there are still old-growth forests, and there are still communities that we have the opportunity to stand with and protect the things that really matter,” Hansen said.
