Julie Draper, a Friends of Clayoquot Sound activist, passed away on October 21st, 2016, at the age of 58. Although she moved away from Tofino almost 20 years ago, all who knew her here remember her strong spirit, deep kindness and quick wit.
Julie was a core member and a spokesperson for our organization from 1988 through the 1990s. She was arrested at the Sulphur Pass logging blockade in 1988. For that non-violent civil disobedience she was sentenced to six days in the already condemned Okalla women’s prison in Burnaby. She was arrested again during the 1992 logging blockade and helped organize the mass Clayoquot protests and blockades of 1993, serving as our First Nations liaison.
Julie was a talented artist who designed the “circle of life” images for the Friends’ sweatshirts and t-shirts. In the years before we had computers, she skillfully designed, illustrated and laid out our newsletter using scissors and glue to cut and paste it together, at which she was remarkably fast.
Friends of Clayoquot Sound are grateful to have had Julie in our midst, and mourn her passing.
