By Roy L Hales

Thousands of people in communities across the province took to the streets in ForestMarch 2021 on Friday.

The largest Vancouver Island march was in Victoria, where an about 250 people gathered in Centennial Square.

Two of the students at the Courtenay march – Rod Burns photo

Some pushback

There was some pushback.

What was meant to be a healing ceremony in front of the Ministry of Forestry offices in Port McNeill turned into arguments between environmentalists and industry supporters.

ForestMarch 2021 in Courtenay

Quadra Island residents Geraldine Kenny and Rod Burns joined about 100 protesters in the driving rain at Courtenay.

About 30% of the crowd were students.

Two of the half dozen of so pro-industry demonstrators – Rod Burns photo

Burns mentioned a half dozen pro-industry supporters with commercially produced signs stating “Forestry feeds my family.”

Some nearby high school students carried homemade signs saying “Living Forests Feed Many Families” and “Worth More Standing.”

Kenny alluded to the shift a public opinion, “30 years ago, they would have lynched us” for marching in support of the forests.

She said there was a constant cacophony of supporting honks, even from a passing logging truck.

From the response to her placard ‘Clear cutting is ecocide,’ Kenny concluded the word ‘ecocide’ is no longer a term only used by environmentalists. It has entered the public domain.

“When we eradicate these ancient forests, we’re not only destroying our heritage and history, we’re also killing the future for our children and all animals on this coast,” she said.

Youth with Living Forests Feed Many Families placard – Rod Burns photo

Other communities

There also were protests in nearby communities Nanaimo, Qualicum, Duncan, Sechelt, and Powell River, as well as mainland centres like Vancouver, Prince George and Nelson.