20 years later, panelists explore Clayoquot Sound’s ground breaking logging blockades of 1993.
View the video here: 20 year anniversary ’93 Clayoquot logging blockades panel.
The dynamic panel brought together a breadth of experiences and backgrounds that gave unprecedented insight into Canada’s largest act of peaceful civil disobedience. The panel, held August 8, 2013 in Tofino and, hosted by Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne, included:
Valerie Langer: FOCS campaigner during the blockades
John Cashore: Minister of Environment during the 1993 logging blockades
Karen Mahon: Greenpeace forest campaigner in 1993
Terry Brown: one of the first arrestees in 1993
Tzeporah Berman: FOCS blockade coordinator in 1993
Maureen Fraser: long time Tofino resident, staunch defender of the forests
Joe Martin: Tla-o-qui-aht cultural leader and canoe carver
Elizabeth May: Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada in 1993
Tribute to organizers of Clayoquot Summer ’93 peaceful logging protests
Clayoquot Summer ’93, the largest peaceful civil disobedience in Canadian history, truly was a collective effort. Thank you all! Your legacy lives on and the fight continues to protect Clayoquot’s ancient forests.
A huge thanks to the 932 arrestees, 856 of whom were charged, tried, and sentenced and to the 12,000 or so people who came to the Peace Camp and blockades.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Clayoquot Summer ‘93”, Friends of Clayoquot Sound thank the many people who were key in organizing and running our daily logging blockades at the Kennedy River bridge, our Peace Camp at the Black Hole clearcut, and our Clayoquot Resource Centre in Victoria that provided arrestees with court support.
Friends of Clayoquot Sound Staff:
Jan Bate
Tzeporah Berman
Paul Cienfuegos
Julie Draper
Bonny Glambeck
Valerie Langer
Garth Lenz
Norleen Lillico
Paul Loubert
Maryjka Mychajlowycz
Kevin Pegg
Amy Simpson
Will Thomas
Friends of Clayoquot Sound key volunteers:
Solana Allison
Hannah Amrhein
Robert Bateman
Dave Bird
Melda Buchanan
Cheri Burda
Raffi Cavoukian
Suzanne Connell
Sandor Csepregi
Marn Cummings
Amy deCarteret Feit
Maureen Fraser (and Common Loaf cinnamon buns)
Tyson Gronen
Guido
Chris Hatch
Bill Joyce
Dana Kagis
Des Kennedy
Vanessa LeBourdais
Dan Lewis
Peter Light
Chris Lowther
Dan Maher
Ruth Masters
Fiona McCallum
Jean McLaren (and VW van)
Chris Morrison
Ana Maria Noronha
Donna Passmore
Diane Radmore (Fireweed)
Olga Schwartzkopf
Peter Scott
Doug Sherriff
Carrie St. Pierre
Sally Sunshine
Michael Swan
Sandee Tranfield
Ray Travers
Peter Vaughan
Tim Wees
Ken Wu
Zebo
Friends of Clayoquot Sound staff at “Clayoquot Resource Centre” in Victoria:
Bobby Arbess
Jane Calder
Claudia Cole
Deirdre Gotto
Ed May
Scott McFadden
Jill Thomas
Sushil Saini
Mac Scott
Andy Wheatley
We thank the scores of volunteers who helped at the Centre, and the lawyers, legal staff and law students who represented and assisted arrestees.
Other key contributors to blockades and/or 1993 Clayoquot ancient forest campaign:
Patrick Anderson, Greenpeace International
Liz Barratt-Brown, Natural Resources Defense Council
Adriane Carr, Western Canada Wilderness Committee
Environmental Youth Alliance
Marc Evans, Greenpeace USA
Vicky Husband, Sierra Club of BC
LightHawk
Karen Mahon, Tamara Stark and Sue Danne, Greenpeace Canada
Ian Marcuse and Jacinta French, VTRAC (Vancouver Temperate Rainforest Action Coalition)
Elizabeth May, Sierra Club of Canada
Colleen McCrory, Valhalla Wilderness Society
Atossa Soltani and Randy Hayes, Rainforest Action Network
We thank the various allied environmental organizations and the many Friends of FOCS groups that sprang up across BC and Canada.
— Sincerely, the FOCS team and board who continue to carry the torch that still burns thanks to the vigilance and activism of 1993.
P.S. After 20 years, memory fades – apologies to those we may have missed. If we forgot to mention you, please let us know your name and what organizing activity you did, and we’ll add you to our online tribute. (info@focs.ca)
