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*Photos* | EACT door-to-door Survey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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News Releases Year 2000
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Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo Water Users Committee |
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Summer of Solidarity |
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Welcome:
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*Photos* | EACT door-to-door Survey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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News Releases Year 2000
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Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo Water Users Committee |
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Eloise Charet is entering the ninth day of her hunger strike. The grandmother of three is standing in front of the Supreme Court Building in Nelson BC. She is refusing to eat in a bid to protect Canada's watersheds. In a recent radio interview, Eloise said she is determined not to give up: "I must take this fast to the end. I cannot stand here and say I am going to do this for two weeks or something. People have to take this seriously, and that is why, until I die, I will demand the protection of all watersheds in Canada. I am putting my life on the line for the future of all Canadians and their water."
Friends and supporters of Eloise are concerned by the lack of attention and media coverage for her cause. Although local press and radio stations are covering her hunger strike, the larger media outlets have shown no interest. "Eventually they will cover this story. I don't know what the spark will be, but it will happen," said Eloise.
Eloise is used to being ignored. In 1998 she walked across Canada talking to people about water issues. When she arrived in Ottawa she was refused a meeting with Jim Gouk, her local MP who is again running for parliament. Around the cement fence of the courthouse, Eloise has placed containers of water that she gathered from her walk across Canada. Some of the water is contaminated with mercury from mine tailings; some of it is radioactive from uranium mining; some of it has fecal coliform, the same bug that contaminated the drinking water in Walkerton, Ontario. She is asking people to bring down samples of their own water to leave with her. She is also asking people to join her even if only for a short while. A supporter has donated a cell phone to Eloise so she can be reached for interviews. The phone number is 250-354-9870
Eloise Charet is a Canadian hero. On March 27th 1975 she risked her life to save 42 orphans from the killing fields of Cambodia. Today, she is again risking her life in a hunger strike that began November 1st in front of the courthouse in Nelson, British Columbia. When asked what she wants to achieve, her response is quick and concise, "I am asking for the protection of all the watersheds in Canada, and I'll be fasting until I get it."
Referring to Judge McEwan's recent observation that Canadians have no legal right to clean drinking water, Eloise says she felt "it was time to do something absolutely dramatic. An entire generation of people has spent their lives trying to save their drinking water here in the Slocan Valley. They have tried everything: petitions, phone calls, cycling to Victoria. I even walked across Canada to talk with the federal government, but they refused to meet with me. When your feet are bound and your hands are tied, denying yourself food is the last form of protest that you have."
Tanya Wright, a member of EACT, the group that has staged numerous protests in the Slocan Valley, says "Eloise is passionate and determined. We will help raise awareness of her actions and hope the government responds before her health is seriously affected."
Eloise says her hunger strike is also a show of solidarity with Betty Krawczyk , the 72 year old grandmother who is currently serving a year long sentence in jail for protesting the logging of ancient rainforest in the Elaho Valley, north of Squamish.
Eloise knows how important clean drinking water is. Twenty-five years ago in Cambodia, a doctor told her there was no point in trying to help an orphan who had lost too much weight after contracting diarrhea, a condition common in areas without clean drinking water. Eloise refused to take no for an answer. She spent hour after hour injecting saline solution under the dying child's skin as shells exploded around the orphanage. That water, and Eloise's courage, saved the child's life and Eloise is convinced that protecting clean water sources in Canada is worth risking her life for again.
Friday morning October 27 Judge McEwan sentenced Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed residents for blocking Slocan Forest Products (SFP) from road building activities in the watershed that supplies them with their drinking water. Mark Stoddart , Mike McGaw and Murray Sadler have each been sentenced to two weeks of jail time and two years probation for protecting their watershed. Charges were dropped against two other individuals. Five more activists, including a 56-year old lifetime Kootenay resident, were also in court for their first appearances. They are charged with contempt of court for blocking construction of the same road into their domestic water supply.
"If the choice our government offers residents is between jail or logging our watersheds, then I wouldn't be surprised to see the jails filled as they were in the Clayoquot Sound. That protest resulted in the creation of a United Nations Biosphere Reserve and the formation of Issack, a logging venture managed jointly by First Nations and the logging company. We have a solution here that residents have been supporting for half a decade: The Silva Ecosystem-based Plan " says EACT resident, Tanya Wright.
These convictions are not the first in the area. Residents have been opposing industrial logging in these watersheds for the past twenty years. The most recent poll conducted by EACT showed that over 90% of the people living in the area are against SFP's logging plans. Said Mike McGaw: "The construction of this road, when the community is so clearly against it, brings into question the whole notion that we live in a democracy. If the government is not listening and the courts are ruling that water users have no rights, to whom do we now turn? It's election year in the Kootenays and the watersheds are going to be important with voters. The Green Party has already come out in favor of watershed protection, but where do the other parties stand?"
Friday Sep. 22 the WaterCyclists from the Slocan Valley arrived at the Legislature in Victoria and delivered a powerful speech to representatives for the Ministry of Forests, and Ministry of Lands and Agricultur, presenting them with a bottle of water, woven in cedar bark, that was cycled from the Slocan Valley, and a baby yew tree from our home land, to be planted upon Legislative grounds.
"We are eager to hear from the Ministers themselves regarding the requests," say Brodie Whitney, one of the WaterCyclists from the Slocan Valley. "Our main request was that government, forest management, and community-appointed representatives sit down together, within each individual watershed region in the Slocan Valley, and establish a relationship toward resolving the issues at hand. We are asking for simple communication, and for this opportunity to work together to be embraced by government."
Since Saturday morning Sep. 23 the Watercyclists have been gathered beneath the giant sequoia tree in front of Legislature, serving free water to passers-by, and speaking on the issues that they as residents are facing in regards to forest and watershed management in the Slocan Valley. The FOUR-DAY GLOBAL PRAYER AND FAST FOR WATER will continue until the evening of Tuesday Sep. 26. "So far, this event has been a complete success. The sun shone bright all day long as ten of us drank only the clean and pure waters of the Slocan Valley. Water is a pure essential. May it be regarded and protected as such," says Whitney.
The most recent blockade at the site of Slocan Forest Products' (SFP) contentious road building operations at Trozzo Creek in the Slocan Valley resulted in heroic action and five arrests. The R.C.M.P., escorted by the SFP road building crew and their excavator, arrived on site at approximately 9:30 AM.
While the police examined the barricaded gate with three protesters chained to it, a 56 year-old local man attached himself to the moving excavator. A young woman offering her support was arrested by a plain clothes officer, then the man himself was removed and arrested.
The three other local people, chained since 4:30 AM yesterday to a barricaded gate have also been removed and arrested. It took the police over an hour to cut through chains, barbed wire and wooden structures to remove them. All five protesters standing to protect their drinking water were charged with criminal contempt. "Fresh, clean water is a global treasure. We're talking about truly sustainable economies and communities that will ensure the protection of this precious resource. Does that make us criminals?" asks Chloe, one of the protesters.
"Taking a stand to protect drinking water is not a crime, it is a responsibility," says Miriam Mason, resident in the EACT Watershed. "What are the true values of a healthy society? We all depend on pure clean drinking water. Rather than criminalizing the residents, who after 20 years of letter-writing, petitions and countless meetings see no other avenue but to stand as the machines move into their watershed, the corporate activities that put this valuable, non-renewable resource at risk should be questioned."
BACKGROUND INFO: The Trozzo Creek Watershed provides the only source of drinking water to the local residents and is an important wildlife corridor. For twenty years the residents have been resisting industrial logging in their watershed. This summer, as SFP has begun road building the residents continue to protest, and urgently call to their government to finally come forward with a resolution to the conflict. Over 90% of the residents in the Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed are opposed to the current road building and the logging plans of SFP into their watershed. Instead they call for the implementation of an ecosystem-based plan that would ensure the continued healthy functioning of the ecosystem they depend on for their drinking water, as well as ensure that sustainable forestry can continue into the future.
Early this morning, residents of the Slocan Valley and surrounding areas converged on Fern Road to defend the Trozzo Creek watershed from Slocan Forest Products' unpopular roadbuilding activities. Community members have secured themselves to a recently constructed SFP gate, which has been blocking access to this public road.
Three people, Chloe, Dobby and Evolution, are attached to the gate, as well as to each other. The gate, which has been preventing access to this public road and public land, has been transformed into a barricade, complete with barbed-wire. Over fifty supporters are surrounding the trio and offering ongoing support.
"Corporate control of public land, whether in the Elaho or in Trozzo, is unacceptable", said Valley resident Chloe, "Since when is it our government mandated to value the greed of big logging companies before the needs of the people it is supposed to represent?"
Today's protest clearly demonstrates the escalation of the conflict here in the Slocan Valley. Residents believe they have offered B.C.'s government a viable solution, in the form of the Silva Plan for the Slocan Valley. This eco-system based plan protects domestic watersheds and guarantees a diversity of economic benefits for the community, including sustainable logging. The Plan is being hand-delivered to MPs at the Victoria Legislature this week by a Valley resident who carried the document by bicycle from his home. The trip has been dubbed 'WaterCycle 2000'.
The Trozzo Creek watershed and surrounding area is an irreplacable wildlife corridor, which the community has been actively defending for many years. Despite years of petitioning, lobbying, letter-writing and other efforts, residents have seen no movement towards reconciliation by either government or industry.
Yesterday morning at 8 AM about 40 residents from the Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed gathered to send off the local cyclists who are heading to Victoria. The cyclists aim to bring awareness to the crisis in the Slocan Valley by fasting from food, drinking only Slocan Valley water for 4 days on the lawn at legislature. They will also deliver directly a declaration of support for the Slocan Valley Accord. This Memorandum of Understanding outlines a possible resolution to the conflict in the valley between the local water users and Slocan Forest Products (SFP). Slocan Valley residents have been asking government to come forward with such a resolution for the last 20 years.
SFP is presently building roads and logging in watersheds that provide the residents with their only source of drinking water. This is happening against clear opposition of the water users. In the EACT Watershed over 90% of the residents are opposed to the current industrial logging and road building. They would rather see an ecosystem-based plan implemented that would ensure the continued availability and quality of drinking water, as well as sustainable forestry jobs into the future.
WaterCycle is part of a peaceful community effort toward healthy transition and resolution for all community members.
Appledale, BC.: Yesterday afternoon, Sheri, the 25-year old woman who has been sitting in a tree in a platform about 100 feet off the ground blocking road-building work by Slocan Forest Products (SFP) in the sensitive Trozzo Creek watershed, was arrested by the RCMP. She was charged with section 4C of the criminal code for mischief over $5000. The RCMP sent an RCMP climber up the tree to arrest her. Sheri climbed higher up, but turned around when the RCMP told her she would jeopardize both his and her safety, especially due to the high winds present at the time.
The Trozzo Creek Watershed provides the only source of drinking water to the local residents and is an important wildlife corridor. For twenty years the residents have been resisting industrial logging in their watershed. This summer, as SFP has begun road building the residents continue to protest, and urgently call to their government to finally come forward with a resolution to the conflict. Over 90% of the residents in the Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed are opposed to the current road building and the logging plans of SFP into their watershed. Instead they call for the implementation of an ecosystem-based plan that would ensure the continued healthy functioning of the ecosystem they depend on for their drinking water, as well as ensure that sustainable forestry can continue into the future.
Tanya Wright, a resident in the EACT Watershed says: "What is wrong with this picture? Residents who are standing up against a corporation for their drinking water are being arrested as criminals. It makes you wonder about the values of our society and the justice system we are guided by."
Appledale, BC.: On the second day of the latest protest against logging in the Trozzo Creek watershed, the tree-sitter has issued a statement. "Trozzo Creek is the last remaining wildlife corridor between Valhalla and the Kokanee Provincial Parks. The creeks that flow through the forest are pumped directly into peoples' taps without chlorination, a situation that is very likely to change with road building and clearcutting. The intact forest is the living filtration system that makes this water so pristine." (see complete text below).
The tree-sit blocks road-building work by Slocan Forest Products (SFP) in the sensitive Trozzo Creek watershed, which is the sole source of clean drinking water for dozens of local residents and an important wildlife corridor. Yesterday two people witnessing the tree sit were arrested by the RCMP and charged with civil contempt of court, in spite of the fact that they were not blocking work on the road and were present as journalists documenting the issue. The RCMP have told local residents they will be arrested if they so much as go anywhere near the tree sit, despite the lack of a bubble zone injunction.
"Why is our government not listening? Every time a watershed in the valley is entererd by SFP there is a blockade, with continual resistance from local residents, latest example being the Trozzo watershed. Our government that is suppposed to represent its people, is basically ignoring the valley. When will they finally wake up and hear us?" asks Tanya Wright from the Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed.
Personal Statement by the latest Trozzo Creek watershed tree-sitter :
I write this with a clear intent, an open heart and a complete understanding of the consequences of my actions, as a freethinking, conscious individual. I put myself in this position of non-violent civil disobedience in order to further peoples' awareness of the state of our remaining wild spaces and to help protect the Trozzo Creek area. Trozzo Creek is the last remaining wildlife corridor between Valhalla and the Kokanee Provincial Parks. The creeks that flow through the forest are pumped directly into peoples' taps without chlorination, a situation that is very likely to change with road building and clearcutting. The intact forest is the living filtration system that makes this water so pristine.
Our planet is in trouble!! Every minute, all over the globe, countless animal, insect and plant species disappear and their habitats are lost due to the insatiable appetite of corporate industrial logging fuelled by human greed. I cannot stand aside and watch yet another place be left to memory without knowing I did my best. Though this is a long-standing local issue with deep roots in the community, for myself it is primarily a global issue. Every bit of forest that we, as consumers, destroy, and every drop of water that becomes polluted because of our carelessness, affects every being on a global scale. There is no denying that we all have to live on one planet with only so many resources.
I am a world traveller; I have seen places of immense, unbelievable beauty, and with that experience I can truly say that the Slocan Valley is one of the most unique and fantastic places my eyes have seen. I cannot believe that there remains any question by the government and the courts regarding the inherent worth of these forests and creeks. I ask Premier Dosanjh to keep his promise to protect the drinking water and the watersheds from which it flows. I demand an end to all corporate industrial logging in BC, starting with a six-month moratorium on all industrial logging and road building, while sustainable alternatives are reviewed.
I act in solidarity with all other people in BC and around the world who are struggling right now to preserve endangered spaces for us all to enjoy in the future. I do this with respect for the workers of the Forest Industry in this community, as I hope my actions will secure a more sustainable future for everyone. Once the forests are gone, there are no jobs... once the water is gone, there is no life....
Appledale, BC: Today, Wednesday September 6th, road building crews intent on continuing road building into the heart of the contentious Trozzo Watershed, which provides domestic water supplies for Slocan Valley residents, arrived to work to find the way blocked by a concerned citizen perched 100 feet above the ground on a platform suspended from a tree. When the RCMP arrived at the site they arrested two people who were standing by with cameras and charged them for contempt of court.
The protester in the tree is refusing to come down until Premier Dosanjh declares an end to all corporate industrial logging in BC, starting with a six-month moratorium on all industrial logging and road building, while sustainable alternatives are reviewed.
This is a continuation of the long, hot summer of protest in the Slocan Valley as residents continue their demands for Premier Dosanjh to live up to his promise to protect domestic watersheds from industrial logging. People have locked themselves to equipment, cemented their arms into the road through the floor of their cars, and perched high in the trees in attempts to stop the logging on Trozzo Creek Road and bring public attention to the need for a water act. Such a water act would give legal standing to peoples' rights to clean drinking water.
Judge McEwan, of the supreme court of BC, recently ruled that people do not have a right to clean drinking water. This is causing frustration, as people see no option but to take Direct Actions to stop the destruction of their water supplies.
The protester says "I act in solidarity with all other people in BC and around the world who are struggling right now to preserve endangered spaces for us all to enjoy in the future. I do this with respect for the workers of the Forest Industry in this community, as I hope my actions will secure a more sustainable future for everyone. Once the forests are gone, there are no jobs... once the water is gone, there is no life...."
APPLEDALE, B.C.: The fire hazard rating in the Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed area has been rated as extreme since Friday August 11th. Rather than close down road construction into the Elliot-Anderson end of the watershed as other mills have done in other areas, Slocan Forest Products (SFP) has decided to work all through the last three nights from 6 PM and 6 AM when the temperatures are cooler, keeping neighbors awake at all hours. According to Gary Burns, overseer of the road building, SFP can work whenever they want on this first section of the road as it is on private land. "The sound of an excavator moving rocks and pulling out trees in the middle of the night is loud and extremely disturbing and does little to promote a sense of confidence in SFP's activities into our watershed," says Erika Sherwood, one of the residents who has been unable to sleep.
Tanya Wright, Co-Director of the EACT Water Users Committee has been receiving phone calls from various neighbors, complaining about the noise. "Many of these people have children or need to work the next day. Over 90% of the residents are opposed to the road being built into their watershed; they now are also being kept up at night. Why does SFP not show some regard to the water users and at least refrain from working at all hours of the night? They could just stop working until the fire hazard rating changes."
"As water users who will be directly affected by this road and the planned logging activities it is of utmost importance for us to monitor SFP's activities. When SFP decides to work at night it makes it very challenging for us to know what is going on. We live here and have to deal with the consequences of their activities. They just come in, work and leave", says Miriam Mason, resident of EACT watershed.
The EACT Water Users Committee continues to work for sustainable alternatives. The Ecosystem-based Plan has received overwhelming support from the residents, who feel that this would protect their watershed and allow for sustainable ways of making a living from the forest. "It would be so easy to have a win-win solution. I know people of this valley have more talent than making 2x4's. With a commitment to value-added wood production and staying away from people's creeks everyone's needs could be met." says Jim Merkel, a water user of the EACT watershed.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: Yesterday, August 9th, Slocan Forest Products began building a road into the north end of the Elliot-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed. This is the second road being built by SFP this summer into the fragile domestic use watershed, the first being the Trozzo Creek road.
This morning residents who will be directly affected by the road and planned logging gathered to protest. For twenty years the EACT Water Users Committee has been working to educate the public, the company and government about the threat to their water sources that industrial road building and logging pose. Simultaneously the water users have been promoting sustainable alternatives that would ensure an intact ecosystem, as well as the possibility of making a living from the forest. As of now government has not come forward to endorse such an alternative, and the crisis in the Slocan Valley continues.
"This contentious issue is not being addressed by our government, and as water users we have no legal rights to clean water. Protesting is a last resort," says Stephan Martineau, resident of the EACT watershed. "It is disheartening to witness efforts of so many residents over the last twenty years to protect their watershed come to this."
The folowing is a news release distributed by the RCMP on August 09, 2000.
The protest at Trozzo Creek has taken on a new dimension with approximately $20,000 to $30,000 in damage discovered to 7 of the road contractors vehicles or equipment. Nelson RCMP were called to the area at 0500hrs. 00-08-08 as approximately 25 people were present with 6 blocking the road. Upon police attendance the injunction and a new enforcement order issued by Mr. Justice Wally Oppal on August 4th 2000 was read, The 6 moved aside with no arrests made. When workers arrived at their equipment further up the road they noted a variety of materials including sugar, dirt and metal filings poured into the fuel tanks. These pieces of machinery now need to have the tanks removed and thoroughly cleaned prior to being used. This incident follows several incidents last week when RCMP members were called to the area only to find protesters having departed prior to their arrival.
Investigation into the incident revealed that a private watchman noted 3 vehicles travel up the road on Thursday evening 00-0-06 and return a short time later with less occupants. The watchman later noted 6 people dressed in camouflage gear and wearing belaclavas walking through the bush. At least one of the 6 was believed to have been carrying a weapon. As a result a security firm was brought in from Kamloops however departed the area Monday morning August 7th. The damage is believed to have occured after this security firm departed.
A search of the area by the Nelson RCMP Police Dog Service failed to locate any suspects however the remnants of an old marihuana grow operation was located and destroyed. As noted Slocan Forest Products has obtained a new enforcement order signed by Mr. Justice Wally Oppal with an arrest and release clause therefore any further arrests relating to blocking of the road if necessary will be pursuant to that order.
Early in the morning of 00-08-09 workers were again met by 6 different protesters blocking the road. RCMP attended, read the injunction and the 8 moved aside and no arrests were made. Total costs of the Trozzo Creek protest to the RCMP is now at $47,742.00.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: This morning early, August 8th, women and children gathered at the Trozzo Creek Road to stand in witness for their water that is being threatened by the road building and logging activities of Slocan Forest Products (SFP) into their domestic use watershed. Gary Burns, head of the road building crew, read the injunction to the women and children who did not move away from the road. The RCMP was called and until the one RCMP officer showed up the peaceful protest continued. After the RCMP officer asked those gathered to move off the road or else be arrested, all present removed themselves off the road. SFP then proceeded to continue their road building -- this against the will of 90% of the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) watershed residents, as a recent survey has shown.
"It was an extremely peaceful protest, with women and children gathered together singing as they witnessed the destruction of their watershed, their children's future" says Tanya Wright, one of the residents of the EACT watershed. "Women are carriers of life. This ecosystem we live in sustains and nourishes us on a daily basis. If logging could take place within an ecosystem-based approach, our ecosystem could remain intact and the possibility of making a living from the forest could continue indefinately into the future. But the present rate and method of resource extraction are way beyond sustainability and are gambling with our children's future," says Wright.
"Why is there such resistance to try out an alternative approach that puts life before money and profit? Water is life, we can't drink money. Without a healthy functioning ecosystem future generations will have no foundation for a functioning, diverse economy," adds Allison Hack, also a resident of the EACT watershed.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: This morning August 4th Slocan Forest Products (SFP) applied for an enforcement order in Vancouver after protesters blocked workers' entry into the Trozzo Creek domestic use watershed. It was granted by BC Supreme Court Justice Opal, who admitted that it put the courts in a difficult position, but saw no reason not to issue it – this even after hearing the reasons for judgement of Justice McEwan stating that an enforcement order was not required.
The enforcement order compels the police to arrest people for violating the court order. Up till now the police have been hesitant to force the road open by arresting people without an enforcement order, because, according to the RCMP, doing so under the common law could lead to charges against the police of unlawful arrest and possibly assault.
While the concerns of water users in the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) watershed are not being resolved in court, the protesters are now also being subjected to increasing violence.
The protesters arrived at the Trozzo Creek road around 4 AM. Just as they got there, a pickup truck arrived and drove at high speed up the road. They had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit because the truck did not slow down. A protester named Penelope said, "I was standing on the road, but rather than slowing down the driver just sped up. I took two steps aside and he swerved around me." Another protester named Pat said, "He must have been driving at least 40k – weaving among us like he was doing a slalom run." Other workers arriving a few minutes later were blocked by the protesters from driving up the road.
"This is a small community and people have always respected political demonstrations and not resorted to the kind of violence seen in other areas. These actions by Slocan Forest Products threaten to undermine the community," says Tanya Wright of the EACT watershed. "What I'd like to know is, who will be held responsible for violent action on behalf of Slocan Forest Products? It is extremely important that no one gets hurt standing to protect their drinking water," adds Wright.
"The fact that SFP continues to harass and intimidate the peaceful public protests of the water users should have been enough not only to compel the judge to refuse to issue the enforcement order, but also to strike down the injunction due to the behaviour of some of SFP's employees," says Wright.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: Yesterday morning August 3, as the NDP party were meeting at a convention in Nelson, BC, a representative from the Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) Water Users Committee handed a petition and a copy of the EACT survey to Premier Ujjal Dosanjh. Both the survey and the petition show the overriding opposition of residents to current logging activities and plans in their watershed.
The NDP has repeatedly responded to the crisis in the Slocan Valley by saying they are working on solutions, and that this will take time. Mark Stoddart, a water user of the EACT watershed pointed out that "Our water is in crisis now. Slocan Forest Products (SFP) is logging and building roads into our watersheds as we speak. By the time the NDP government has figured it out, it could well be too late."
More than 90% of the residents of the EACT watershed in the Slocan Valley signed the petition demanding that the Ministry of Forests "rescind current road permits and withhold approval of any cutting permits in the EACT area, until the water users are satisfied that any development activities will not adversely affect their water quality, quantity and timing of flow, as well as the overall health of the larger ecosystem and species depending on it".
The survey conducted throughout the EACT neighbourhood this spring brought to light that 93% of the residents agree that "in place of industrial logging … the Slocan Valley (should) become an example of a sustainable alternative - where the community manages its resources through ecosystem-based planning".
"Supposedly we live in a democracy", says Miriam Mason, a resident of the EACT watershed. "How is it possible that with over 90% of the residents opposed to the logging activities in their backyards, our government does not step forward to seek resolution to this crisis that is happening in our watershed as well as in other watersheds throughout the Slocan Valley? Why is our government continuously representing the needs of corporations over the needs of its people?"
APPLEDALE, B.C.: This morning August 2, protesters peacefully block Slocan Forest Products' (SFP) entry into the Trozzo Creek Road, first standing, then lying in the path of the worker's trucks from 4 AM to 6 AM. The workers try to scare the protesters aside driving their trucks right up to them, even to the point of slightly shoving them. At 6 AM the workers walk past the protesters, leaving their trucks behind. The police were called, and showed up at 9 AM, 5 hours later, at which point the protesters removed themselves from the road.
"The continued opposition of water users to the road building and planned logging in their watershed calls to government to finally come forward and bring resolution to the situation in the Slocan Valley. This is not a matter that should be dealt with by the police, the court and especially not by the workers. The Ecosystem-based Plan that has been endorsed by the majority of residents in the Valley provides for long-term employment in the forestry sector, while ensuring protection of our ecosystems," says Troy Penzer from EACT (Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo) Watershed.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: Today August 1st Slocan Forest Products (SFP) forces its way through peaceful blockade without using injunction process. SFP has repeatedly stated in court that it is not about to provoke a confrontation by forcing its way past protesters. Yet this is exactly what happened this morning when Gary Burns, contracted by SFP to oversee the road building, shoved and held protesters out of the way, while the SFP road building crew drove by and up the road. Another person concerned about their water supply being jeopardized by the current road building of SFP into their watershed was terrified as trucks bore down on him pushing him further and further up into the watershed on the newly built Trozzo Creek road.
"This marks a drastic escalation in tactics by SFP and the water users are worried by the aggressive stance SFP is taking to what is essentially peaceful public protest. Neither person was read the injunction and it seems SFP has decided to take the law into their own hands", says Troy Penzer from EACT (Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo) Watershed. He and other water users were standing by as witnesses to the road building that is taking place on Trozzo Creek against the will of 90% of the residents.
NELSON, B.C.: Yesterday July 31st charges were dropped against one of four protesters arrested this summer in the Slocan Valley's Trozzo Creek watershed. Scheduling of court dates for the other three protesters has been postponed until September 11th.
James Jamieson was arrested July 4th in the woods about one hundred meters from the Trozzo Creek logging road and charged with defying a court order. These charges were dropped today.
The other three protesters, Mike McGaw, Murray Sadler, and Mark Stoddart, who had originally all been charged with defying a court order under Act 127 of the Criminal Code had their charges changed to Criminal Contempt of Court under Civil Proceedings July 18th.
Sadler, who has chosen to defend himself in court, is also facing a second charge of mischief. McGaw locked himself onto the logging road in a protest on June 17th. Sadler locked himself to road-building equipment on the logging road on June 20th. Stoddart locked himself to a tree in the path of logging road construction and was arrested on July 6th. BC Supreme Court Justice Marc McEwan has been challenging the way the logging companies have been using the court system to battle protesters with court injunctions, a process that doesn't give protesters the opportunity to defend their actions.
"It's shameful that local residents are being arrested for defending their watersheds," says Stephan Martineau of EACT (Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo Water Users Committee). "The British Columbian government should be protecting our water, our wildlife, and our natural resources -- for us today and for our children's children. Instead, the Ministry of the Environment is largely ineffectual, and the Ministry of Forests actively collaborates with the logging companies whose sole mission is to squeeze as much profit as they can, as quickly as they can, from the forests that support the web of life of which we are part. We must enact legislation today to protect our watersheds and our old-growth forests from their terrible appetite for profit."
NELSON, B.C.: Today the precedent-setting criminal code charges for being in Contempt of Court placed against the three defendants arrested for allegedly blocking the logging and road-building activities of Slocan Forest Products (SFP) in the Trozzo Creek watershed have been changed to Criminal Contempt of Court under Civil Proceedings.
The three men had originally been charged under Section 127 of the Criminal Code, a criminal contempt charge for defying a court order, which had never before been used against people engaged in an environmental protest. Although the reasons for the decision of the Regional Crown Counsel, Oliver Butterfield, to abandon the criminal code charges and instead pursue charges under Civil Proceedings are unclear at this time, there has been some speculation. Troy Penzer, an EACT resident comments, "It seems crown counsel was concerned that the likelihood of the original charges not holding up in court was high. Counsel thus changed their strategy by deciding to pursue charges they are more familiar with and which they feel are more likely to end up in convictions."
If found guilty under the Civil Proceedings, though the defendants may be relieved of the stigma of a criminal record, they will likely be afforded less of an opportunity for presenting their case and arguing a defence. The three defendants, Mike McGaw, Murray Sadler, and Mark Stoddart are scheduled to appear in Nelson before the Supreme Court on July 31 at 10 AM.
BACKGROUND: Slocan Valley residents have been taking increasingly urgent steps to stop the road-building and logging operations in the Trozzo Creek watershed. SFP began their Trozzo road-building work on May 23rd. Three days later, watershed residents began standing on the road in the way of SFP's vehicles. The RCMP declined to step in, and SFP sought an injunction to have them removed. BC Supreme Court Justice Marc McEwan granted the injunction reluctantly, citing possible misuse of the court's authority, and has refused to sign an enforcement order. On June 17th, as approximately 70 watershed residents stood witness, Mike McGaw blocked the logging road by locking himself to the road through the bottom of a car and into a foundation of cement and rebar. He was arrested on a criminal charge for defying a court order. On June 20th, Murray Sadler locked himself around the hydraulic arm of an excavator in a show of solidarity with people working to save the forests all over North America. He was arrested on two criminal counts, mischief and defying a court order. On July 4th, Mark Stoddart began a "Tree Sit" in the watershed in the path of the new road construction. He remained on his platform in the tree for three days and was arrested July 6 for defying a court order also under Section 127 of the Criminal Code.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: Mark Stoddart, the local watershed resident who has been blocking Slocan Forest Products (SFP) from continuing their planned road building for three days, climbed down from his tree sit and was arrested by police today.
At approximately 11:30 am, fourteen RCMP officers, including five specially trained police from Vancouver, arrived to bring Stoddart down from the tree. The large police presence was not necessary however, as Stoddart came down voluntarily because of concerns he had for people's safety due to an approaching storm. Another factor influencing his decision to descend from the tree was that SFP had notified him of their intention to build the road around him through a wetlands reserve area. "Wetlands are the fastest disappearing ecosystem type in North America," explained Stoddart.
When asked whether or not he felt that taking direct action in the way he did was worth it, he responded, "Yes, I think that making a stand, witnessing the destruction of my watershed, and taking the consequences is worth it. Now at least I know that I did what I could do."
In response to the question, "What do you say to the taxpayers that had to pay to have the RCMP come up here, only to have you come down by yourself?" he replied, "Taxpayers are subsidising corporations like SFP to destroy our watersheds to the tune of millions of dollars. Maybe we should look at why taxpayer money is going into corporate subsidies for corporations to trample community rights in the name of profit. People doing actions like these are trying to protect all of our rights against corporations who are trying to steamroll them."
Stoddart was taken to the Nelson city jail for processing. He has been released to await his court hearing later this summer.
When asked to explain what he was defending in taking the stand that he did, he simply and clearly answered with three words: "Water…Wildlife…Democracy."
APPLEDALE, B.C.: Mark Stoddart, the man who on July 4 began an occupation of a tree in the path of a new logging road into the Trozzo and Christian Creek watersheds, is now beginning his third day of successfully halting all new road construction.
Stoddart, whose home and property lie at the base of the slope slated to be logged, and who draws his drinking water from Christian Creek, has issued a challenge to the Premier Ujjal Dosanjh to keep the promise he made by getting involved in the issue and calling "a moratorium on further road-building and logging in the Slocan Valley watersheds until a community-supported eco-system based plan can be implemented."
On February 13 of this year, Premier Dosanjh stated, "I will do everything possible to protect the drinking water and the watersheds from which it comes to ensure access for all British Columbians to clean and safe water. I believe in keeping the promises we make."
EACT resident Katie Atha comments, "It's tragic that people have to directly confront the police and courts, risking a criminal record, when the issue can ultimately only be resolved on a political level. It seems many people feel that their voices haven't been heard. With no other means available to them to bring attention to the issue they feel there is no other choice than to get involved in these types of actions. While the politicians make their false promises, it seems that the courts and police are often acting as enforcers for the bottom line of corporations in spite of the concerns and needs of people, families, and communities."
A specially trained contingent of RCMP from the Vancouver area are expected to arrive sometime soon to attempt to remove Stoddart from the tree so that road-building can continue.
APPLEDALE, B.C.: A man doing a 'tree sit' in the Slocan Valley Trozzo Creek Watershed remains high up in the tree, while a bystander has been arrested.
The tree sitter, identifying himself as Mark, is still high up in a tree which is growing in the path of the logging road Slocan Forest Products (SFP) is attempting to build into the watershed. He has vowed to not come down from the tree until there is "an immediate moratorium on all road building and logging-related activity in the Slocan Valley," a "democratic community decision making process" to determine the fate of valley forests, and "a moratorium on all development in the Trozzo-Baldface wildlife corridor."
The RCMP arrived at the scene but cannot arrest him until they bring in outside help to get him down from the tree. Mark faces a charge for defying a court order under Act 127 of the Criminal Code.
The RCMP read the injunction to a group of supporters near the site of the tree sit and told them to leave the SFP work area. They later arrested one local resident who had walked into the forest, to a place further from the logging road than required by WCB regulations. He reportedly claimed that as the land is public, he had every right to be there as long as he wasn't interfering with the road work. This man was then arrested and taken to the Nelson jail for processing. He is expected to be released shortly.
"I am here for two reasons. The first is the obvious one, the one everybody talks about: water. Access to healthy, clean water should be the right of every human being. We are incredibly lucky that we live in a place where we can still drink straight from a mountain creek. This is rare and should not be taken for granted. By allowing SFP into our domestic watersheds, the Ministry of Forests and the Provincial government continuously demonstrate that they do take our water for granted.
Vancouver's water is protected; why isn't ours? Is it simply a matter of numbers: a few million in contrast to a few dozen? How many people have to be affected before they count in the eyes of government and industry? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions?
Every day, the interests of large corporations like SFP are put ahead of the interests of communities, families, and individuals. Where our supposedly democratic governments fail to represent us, we have the right to stand up and demand change. Acts of civil disobedience are integral to preserving any shred of democracy in our increasingly corporate society.
So, I am here for water. I am also here because Trozzo Creek is part of a vital wildlife corridor which connects Kokanee Glacier Park to the Baldface-Grohman area to Perry Ridge to Valhalla Park. Without such wildlife corridors, Kokanee is doomed to become an "island of extinction." It is a small protected area, made up mostly of ice and rock. Alone, it cannot assure the long-term survival of sensitive species, like the grizzly bear. Therefore, while this protest is about protecting the drinking water of Trozzo and Christian Creeks, it also about preserving the biological integrity of the Slocan Valley and the Kokanee Range. Drinking water and wilderness are not only essential to healthy human communities, they are essential to all living things.
In conclusion, I would ask for three things. First, an immediate moratorium on all road-building and logging-related activity in the EACT watersheds. Second, such a moratorium should be followed by a real democratic community decision-making process. We must be allowed to set the terms of debate ourselves, not to have them imposed upon us by the government and industry. Finally, we need a moratorium on all development in the Trozzo-Baldface wildlife corridor while its role in preserving the wildlife values of this region is studied thoroughly by independent scientists."
APPLEDALE, B.C.: Today a Slocan Valley resident occupying a 'tree sit' became the third person to block Slocan Forest Product's (SFP's) road-building work in the Slocan Valley Trozzo Creek watershed since a court injunction was issued June 12th.
The man, who has not yet been identified, has reportedly stationed himself on a wooden platform near the top of a tree. The tree is in the path of a logging road that SFP is currently cutting into the Trozzo domestic watershed. The watershed provides pure drinking water for many local residents.
"I'm prepared to stay up here indefinitely," the man said, "or until there is a moratorium on further logging operations in the Slocan Valley to allow us residents to work out a true community solution. The large logging corporations are trying to strip as much timber from crown land as they can, as fast as they can, without regard to long-term needs for water protection and wildlife preservation. We need an eco-system based plan that treats the land with much greater respect than the industry-weakened Forest Practices Code currently does."
This is the first tree sit in the history of Slocan Valley watershed logging protests, although it is a technique that has long been used in the Elaho Rainforest and other locations in BC and throughout North America. Julia Butterfly Hill occupied a tree sit in California for nearly two years.
"Slocan Valley residents are feeling that they have no choice but to risk a criminal record if they are to protect their drinking water," says Tanya Wright, Co-director of the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo Waterusers Committee (EACT). "We still lack effective legislation protecting our watersheds and wildlife from the strong corporate profit motive. Especially with the recent incidents of injury and death from contaminated water supplies elsewhere in the country, it's a sad day for Canadians that local residents have to risk arrest, imprisonment, and lifetime criminal records to stop SFP from endangering drinking water that is already clean and pure."
The Elliot Anderson Christian Trozzo Water Users Committee (EACT) has just completed a door-to-door survey of EACT residents and the results show enormous support for a sustainable alternative to industrial logging in community watersheds.
Out of 133 respondents, 89% "support zoning out all industrial logging from consumptive use watersheds in the Slocan Valley". 93% of the respondents agree that "in place of industrial logging . . . the Slocan Valley [should] become an example of a sustainable alternative -- where the community manages its resources through ecosystem-based planning". 94% of the respondents "encourage tax incentives for conservation". Finally, 98% "oppose chlorination as a method of water treatment".
The survey sample included 133 people in 92 households. Every house in the EACT watersheds was visited at least once. Therefore, while the survey was not comprehensive, no residence was purposely overlooked. As a result, the survey team was able to gather responses from approximately 90% of the total number of households within the EACT region.
EACT resident, Mark Stoddart, comments, "At last year's FLOW conference, a recurring theme was the need to create a "model of sustainability" in the Slocan Valley. The EACT survey provides further evidence that the residents of the Valley are both ready and willing to make this transition. If, however, Slocan Forest Products continue to log the remaining intact watersheds of the valley, the opportunity to create this model of sustainability will be lost".
Nelson, BC -- Yesterday, June 26, Justice Mark McEwan upheld the injunction against Trozzo Creek protesters, but again refused to grant an enforcement order for the injunction.
Justice McEwan brought RCMP Staff Sgt. Dwayne Buck into court to explain why the RCMP would not clear the Trozzo Creek Protest without an injunction being issued, and why, after the injunction was issued, the RCMP required an enforcement order.
According to Sgt. Buck an injunction saves the RCMP from having to investigate the validity of Slocan Forest Product's claims of their right to pursue road building nd logging plans in the watershed. Following the injunction process has been the policy recommended to the RCMP by the Attorney General.
Thus far, two people have been arrested in the Trozzo Creek Protest under section 127 of the criminal code for defying the court order. This is unprecedented in British Columbia. It remains to be seen whether Crown Council will pursue these charges.
"Without water legislation water users have no legal rights before the courts in instances such as what is happening on Trozzo Creek," says Stephan Martineau, member of the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Water Users Committee. "It is high time that our government implements water legislation that will ensure full protection of our drinking water in this province," Martineau adds.
Appledale, BC -- 9:30 am. This morning about 45 Slocan Valley residents gathered at the Trozzo creek protest site to stand in Solidarity with 10 other communities across the Pacific Northwest. One water user, Murray Sadler, a local Social Worker, decided to chain himself to the machinery in order to stop Slocan Forest Products from continuing their road building into the Trozzo Creek watershed.
" The government and the courts believes that the economic interests of corporations outweight the right of people to clean drinking water. It would be irresponsible for me not protest the actions of these organisations.' says Murray Sadler. "By my decision, I am willing to pay for the consequences of my actions, with my freedom." He continues. The RCMP is expected to arrive on the road in the near future.
"The complete disregard for communities and for the land that surrounds them is not an isolated incident." says Stephan Martineau, Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Water Users Committee spokesperson. The people of the Slocan Valley are standing today, in solidarity with the people of the Elaho Valley, Clayoquot Sound, the Great Bear Rainforest, Salt Spring Island and another half dozen communities resisting a corporate agenda of high quick profit in the Pacific North-West."When we stand on the road we are not only standing here to protect our drinking water, but water everywhere," says Martineau.
Hi. My name is Murray Sadler. I have chosen to be arrested in an act of non-violent civil disobedience in order to help stop the destruction of the Trozzo Creek Watershed. Trozzo Creek is the last intact wildlife corridor between Valhalla and Kokanee Provincial Parks. It is home to Grizzly, Wolverine, Caribou, Lynx and a community that depends on the clean water that this ecosystem provides.
Although the Slocan Valley is not my home, I have always been awestruck by the beauty and tranquility of the area and the people of the valley. I have canoed the Slocan River and tasted the water as I drifted. I have hiked from Sproule Creek into Winlaw and discovered the joy of accomplishment. Throughout all of my experiences within the valley I could glimpse the reality of true paradise.
My actions are in support of maintaining the ecological integrity of the Trozzo Creek watershed and the people who sustain themselves through its resources. My actions are in support of clean water and the abundant wildlife who do not have voices in the decisions reached by corporate interests. My journey to this point of time has stemmed from my personal belief in the need for living a sustainable lifestyle and my professional belief, as a practicing Social Worker, in the need for people to take responsibility for their actions. The government and the courts have decided that the balance of convenience lies with Slocan Forest Products and not with the resident water users. What this means is that the government and courts believe that the economic interests of corporations outweigh the right of people to clean drinking water. Evidently the existence of wildlife in the area, whose habitat is being destroyed, is considered irrelevant by our government, our courts, and the corporations. As a free and conscious individual, it would be irresponsible for me to not protest the actions of these organizations.
Murray Saddler - June 20th, 2000 - Appledale
Appledale, BC -- In solidarity with communities across BC, throughout Canada and around the world, Slocan Valley residents continue to call for protection of drinking water and fragile ecosystems. Tomorrow, June 20th at 5:00 AM, residents of the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Watershed will gather at the Trozzo Creek Protest site as Slocan Forest Products (SFP) goes to work, to stand witness to what is happening to our water and forests.
Many communities around BC are facing similar struggles: local self-determination is being overridden by a corporate agenda of high quick profit; water is not being recognized as one of the most precious resources; and solutions that include all members of communities as well as their ecosystems are being ignored by our government.
"The problem is not that we don't have solutions," says Stephan Martineau, member of the EACT Water Users Committee. "The Ecosystem-based Plan developed for the Slocan Valley provides an extremely viable alternative to the current industrial road building and logging practices. BC could be such an example if our government would choose to work with communities and allow ecosystems to determine where, how and what to cut, rather than using an unsustainable predetermined Annual Allowable Cut (AAC)."
This morning, Saturday June 17, the RCMP arrested a water user at the Trozzo Creek Protest. Approximately 100 residents stood peacefully for their drinking water, protesting Slocan Forest Products (SFP) entry into their watershed. Mike McGaw, a local log house builder refused to move off the road by locking himself onto the road with a lock-down device. "We have alternatives to the logging practices of SFP, but I feel I have no alternative to being arrested today," says McGaw. This is the first time in BC a water user has been arrested under section 127 of the criminal code.
Towards noon the RCMP allowed SFP to pass their excavator through the forest one foot away from the lock-down. At that point McGaw voluntarily released himself.
A recent survey completed on June 7th 2000 shows that 90% of the Elliot Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) Watershed population opposes the present industrial road building and logging plans by SFP. "What is BC's commitment to pure drinking water?" asks Stephan Martineau, a member of the EACT Water Users Committee. "Our Premier Ujjal Dosanjh speaks of doing everything possible to protect drinking water and the watersheds from which it comes, and yet resident water users are faced with criminal charges when they stand on a road as a last resort," he adds.
SFP plans to enter four of the last remaining untouched watersheds of the Slocan Valley this summer. "This is a long-standing issue in the Slocan Valley, and it is time for government to bring resolution to this crisis. It is not a police issue nor a court issue, this a political issue," says Martineau.
My name is Michael McGaw, I am a log house builder and aspiring horse logger living in Perry Siding in the Slocan Valley. I have chosen to be arrested in an act of non-violent civil disobedience, in order to help stop the destruction of our watersheds.
Nature is my religion, and the Slocan Valley is my home. Slocan Forest Products, with the MoF, intend to violate what I hold in my heart to be sacred. The forest slated to be cut is my church and my energetic source. As I have known it, the Slocan Valley is abundant with clean water, art, music, love and wildlife. My friends and I depend on our ecosystem for inspiration as well as clear water and air.
I make my living from small-scale timber framing, and value added wood work. I am not against logging in the Slocan Valley, but the time has come to change our methods. Corporate interests bulldozing into our backyards > and raping the water, forests, views and wildlife habitat is not acceptable. We have alternatives to the logging practices of SFP, but I feel I have no alternative to being arrested today.
My apologies to Mr. Justice McEwan for having disobeyed the injunction issued for Trozzo Creek Road, but I feel there is no choice. All avenues have been explored to stop the destruction of our watershed, yet to date the machinery of SFP keeps rolling into peoples water source.
Now is the time to effect positive change in our community, and make the system work better. Now is the time to say "No more" to corporate greed taking priority over communities. No more short sighted plans from immoral > logging companies. No more hollow promises from government leaders.
Mike McGaw - June 17th, 2000 - Appledale
Tomorrow, Saturday June 17, the RCMP will be present at the Trozzo Creek Protest to arrest anyone who refuses to move off the road. The RCMP plans to arrest people under Act 127 of the criminal code -- this is a precedent in BC. The RCMP will to show up on the road at 6am. Residents who are really concerned about their water supply will probably be present to protest. "This is sad news, when concerned water-users are treated as criminals for standing for water, which for many people is one of the most precious resources on earth," says Stephan Martineau, member of the Elliot Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) Water Users Group .
VANCOUVER, BC - Yesterday, in an unprecedented turn of events, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan refused to issue an enforcement order for the injunction he had granted to Slocan Forest Products (SFP) to remove protesters from the Trozzo Creek logging road in the Slocan Valley.
Since May 26th the logging road has been the site of a protest by residents who have been peacefully impeding the entry of Slocan Forest Products into their domestic use watersheds.
"I think that what Judge McEwan has demonstrated clearly is that the Trozzo Creek protest should not be a court issue," said Stephan Martineau, member of the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo (EACT) Water Users Committee. "As water users we also feel strongly that it is not a police issue, we need to resolve this at a political level" he continued.
The judge did however issue a court order, which outlines options for any peace officer who, upon request by SFP, decides, of his or her own accord, to make arrests.
"We hope that these new developments will alert and encourage our government to come forward and address this long standing conflict in the Slocan Valley, so that a resolution that works for all members of the community can be found", says Martineau.
It remains to be seen if the RCMP will decide to come and arrest the residents on the Trozzo Creek logging road, or if they will wait for guidance from the next court hearing, scheduled for June 26th in Nelson BC.
APPLEDALE, BC -- Friday June 9 Judge McEwan granted Slocan Forest Products (SFP) an injunction that will be reviewed this coming Wednesday after a representative of the Ministry of the Attorney General appears in court to clarify whether serving injunctions is really the answer to residents standing on the road protesting the entry of SFP into their watershed. "Obviously neither the court nor the RCMP can really address what is at stake. Laws don't change values -- values change laws. This issue needs to be resolved on a political level. Our government needs to come forwards with a resolution for the Slocan Valley that will work for the entire community," says Stephan Martineau, member of the Elliot Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) Water Users
When protesters defy an injunction, they are in contempt of court. This process does not address the real issue at hand, namely why the protesters are standing on the road. McEwan suggested that SFP could simply call the RCMP and have the protesters arrested without using an injunction. This could lead to criminal charges for the protesters. "What we really need is water legislation. Water is invaluable and deserves full protection. The Slocan Valley is ready for a sustainable alternative to land use management. Slocan Valley Communities have been calling for Ecosystem-Based Planning for the last 4 years." says Martineau.
Early Saturday morning, June 10, the residents standing on Trozzo Creek Road were served with the injunction. As certain residents chose to remain on the road SFP will be seeking an enforcement order.
It remains to be seen whether the residents will move off the road when the enforcement order is served and whether the present injunction will stay in place, be modified or overturned following the court hearing on Wednesday June 14.
Dear Mr. Ujjal Dosanjh,
As the recent events in Walkerton and Richmond have shown, protecting safe, clean water is an issue that is central to the hearts of Canadians. Here in the Slocan Valley the water is of astounding quality, and highly appreciated and cherished by the water users. The Ministry of Forests, however, whose main mission is to authorize logging, has been handed the role of chief guardian and protector of source watersheds. The water users pay the price for this conflict of interests.
Residents of the Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) Watershed in the Slocan Valley have been protesting the entry of Slocan Forest Products into the watershed that provides them with clean drinking water since last Friday May 26, 2000. This protest is a last resort for water users who are very worried about the safety of their water sources. For the last twenty years the water users have been expressing their serious concerns regarding the threat to their water quality, quantity and timing of flow through road building and logging activities in the sensitive watershed. The concerns are well backed by science. As a recent survey in the EACT watershed shows, over 90% of the community is opposed to industrial logging in this watershed.
Yesterday the protesting water users were served a writ of summons, which could lead to yet another injunction in the Slocan Valley. We, the water users, have no voice in this arena. This is not a court problem. It is not a police problem. This issue needs to be resolved at a political and a community level. It needs to be resolved now. Rather than being continuously involved in crisis management, we need to be engaged in a dialogue with you to deal with this urgent matter. We therefore invite you to meet with us at your earliest convenience. Given the immediate threat that the EACT water users face, we request that you rescind the road permits for the Elliott-Anderson-Christian-Trozzo watershed by June 8th, 2000 (when the injunction will be heard in court) and implement a moratorium on road building and logging in the Slocan Valley domestic use watersheds from June 1st to November 30th, 2000 during which a resolution to watershed issues can be reached. We urge you to immediately act on legislation that will protect our water supplies. It is high time that a community solution be implemented in the Slocan Valley.
We encourage you to follow through on your promise to "…protect the drinking water and the watersheds from which it comes…" and expect to hear from you before June 8th, 2000.
Sincerely, Stephan Martineau
EACT Water Users Committee
APPLEDALE, BC -- Today water users protesting the entry of Slocan Forest Products (SFP) into their watershed were served with a writ of summons. "When government and corporations fail to protect people's water, then where have we come to?" ask Stephan Martineau, a water user in the Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) watershed. "It is outrageous that in this day and age such a precious resource like water, as well as strong community opposition is being overrun by corporate interest" comments Martineau.
For the last 6 days residents have been protesting road building by SFP into their watershed. SFP plans to access the watershed that provides clean drinking water to the residents for timber harvest. Over 90% of the residents oppose industrial logging in their watershed. The Slocan Valley has a long history of water users taking a stand to protect their drinking water. Since 1974 the residents of the Slocan Valley have been calling for sustainable solutions to land use issues. In 1996 an Ecosystem-based Plan was developed for the entire valley providing a community solution that has been endorsed by the majority of Slocan Valley residents. The government has failed to endorse it. "It is a sad day when water users have to stand on the road as a last resort," says Jim Merkel, another EACT watershed resident.
Earlier this morning, before the writ of summons was served, local water users decided to repair a section of the l km road Slocan Forest Products began building last week. The water users had previously invited two foresters to investigate and identify sedimentation hazard and repair needed. At dawn several residents volunteered their time to install 13 water bars, unplug a culvert and ensure proper drainage. The road will continue to be monitored by the water users.
Today the water users are demanding that their premier come forward and hear the concerns of water users in the Slocan Valley. Martineau says "It is time that a community solution be implemented in the Slocan Valley and that our Premier Ujjal Dosanjh follow through on his promise to protect the drinking water and the watersheds from which it comes."
. APPLEDALE - Residents today continue to stand in defense of their water on Trozzo Creek, where last week Slocan Forest Products (SFP) commenced road building into the Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) watershed that provides clean drinking water to residents of the Slocan Valley. The Slocan Valley, part of the only interior temperate rainforest in the world, has been fighting for water protection for over twenty years. In 1996 an Ecosystem-based Plan was developed for the entire valley providing a community solution that has been endorsed by the majority of Slocan Valley residents. It has however been ignored by the Ministry of Forests (MoF) and SFP. Ironically the Ministry of Forests, whose main mission is to authorize logging, has been handed the role of chief guardian and protector of source watersheds.
At a time in history when, according to the United Nations, more than one billion people already lack access to fresh water, water is becoming the "oil of the 21st century". The importance of clean drinking water has been illustrated just recently by the events in Walkerton last week and Richmond in the past days. Water in the Slocan Valley needs no treatment. Individual water systems have worked well for decades and residents strongly oppose chlorinated water. "When something works just fine, why tamper with it? We get our drinking water straight off the mountain slopes. It is extremely important to protect this resource now and for future generations," says Troy Penzer, another local resident.
In the EACT watershed community over 90% are opposed to industrial logging activities, concerned that the small creeks, seepages and streams may be harmed. This is a case where a community is being overrun by corporate interest. Standing on the road is a last resort for residents who have continuously voiced their concerns. "Communities without protected water supplies should be allowed to determine what occurs in watersheds supplying their drinking water," says Rita Corcoran, a water user in EACT. She continues: "This is not just a forestry issue -- this is a water issue, clean drinking water is a basic human right -- not a commodity."
An injunction is expected any day. Residents however are hopeful that their Premier Ujjal Dosanjh will live up to his promise "to protect the drinking water and the watersheds from which it comes to ensure access for all British Columbians to clean and safe water…" The residents of EACT watershed will continue their stand for water.
APPLEDALE -On Monday, day four of the peaceful protest by local residents at Trozzo Creek in the Slocan Valley, Slocan Forest Products (SFP) showed up at the road with slick tactics to build their legal case. They again misinformed the people present. "They told us that they had contacted all of the water users in the Trozzo drainage and that all were opposed to the stand that we are taking," said Allison Hack, one of the residents present on the road. "Interestingly we have just spent the last couple of weeks doing a door to door survey and over 90% of the Elliott Anderson Christian Trozzo (EACT) water users are in support of protection of water and opposed to industrial logging in their backyard," she continued.
However the residents standing on the road took SFP's statement seriously enough to verify their information by going to the nearby households and again asking residents how they felt about a clear stand being taken against the current road building and logging activities in the Trozzo watershed. The first resident they spoke with, Carolyn Winbow, expressed clearly: "I am in complete support. I don't feel that SFP should be logging in the watersheds." The next neighbour, Ron Roshinsky, was even more adamant: "This is slaughtering our mountain; it is ridiculous. They did not even make a phone call to talk to us." Jay Jenkins, another resident, said that he "… got a letter after SFP had already started the work and they never contacted us to ask our opinion. I think it is great that people are taking a stand."
Residents have always been open to SFP going up and fixing any sedimentation problems that may be occurring as a result of their road building activities done to date. "They can go in with picks and shovels; they don't need big machinery and chainsaws to do that work," says Jim Merkel, an EACT water user.
"I think that SFP is playing a legal game here. It really does not seem like they care about how the community feels," said Donyne O'Coffey, an EACT water user. "Let's have a referendum, let's make this valley an example of true democracy, and if the water users vote to have logging activities in their watersheds, then so be it. If, however, through a referendum the community speaks out against industrial logging and seeks to find a community solution - then let's go with that."
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