About 60 staunch citizens gathered in the drizzle outside the Victoria BC Courthouse this morning, prior to the court hearing Teal Cedar’s application for an injunction against certain activities in the Walbran Valley.  It was inspiring once again to hear Bobby Arbess distill the public sentiment to its naked core:

“…Because those of us who have been around long enough know, that where the indigenous people, and the settler environmental community stand together, we win!  Whether it be on Haida Gwaii, whether it be on Meares Island, the Stein Valley; where indigenous people and non-indigenous people stand together to defend the land – we are undefeatable!”

And Torrence Coste, our friend from Wilderness Committee, calmly explained to the gathered crowd the reality of the need to protect today’s forests: “… old growth forests take a thousand years to grow, … so to call this “sustainable”, to call this “resource management” just isn’t true.  Old growth forests are NON-renewable resources and in 2016 we need to be transitioning away from non-renewable resources.  That includes coal, that includes oil, that includes natural gas, and that includes old-growth forests.  We need to leave these forests where they are.”

The Provincial Ministry of Forests building was directly across the street from the megaphones.  I really hope they were listening!