British Columbia has issued a legal order extending the halt on old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek watershed until September 30, 2026, continuing protections originally put in place in June 2021
Steel in the Trees, Silence in the Valley 🌲⚠️
In the mist-veiled forests of Vancouver Island, ancient giants still stand — for now. The B.C. government has extended a lifeline to Fairy Creek’s old-growth, granting temporary protection once more. But beneath the quiet canopy, danger stirs.
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar confirmed that RCMP are investigating reports of tree spiking — an alarming act where metal spikes are embedded into trees, a method once used by environmental extremists, now risking the very lives of forestry workers.
“This is incredibly alarming,” Parmar said. “A dangerous, criminal act that endangers people and communities.”
The province acted swiftly, informing both the forestry licensee and the local First Nation. Now, the eyes of the nation — and perhaps the world — turn again to Fairy Creek.
In this fight between preservation and profit, the trees are no longer the only ones bearing scars.
B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar strongly condemned the alleged act of tree spiking in Fairy Creek, calling it a dangerous and unacceptable threat to worker safety.
📸: Chad Hipolito / The Canadian Press
🌲 A Renewed Stand for the Forest — and a Chilling Discovery 🌲
In an interview with CBC News, B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar revealed disturbing allegations of tree spiking in the Fairy Creek watershed — a move he and the government have swiftly condemned.
📬 The ministry was alerted after receiving anonymous packages — both at the ministry’s office and a forest service office in Nanaimo — containing photos and a message claiming trees had been deliberately spiked.
“I just can’t imagine someone who would have the will to go and spike a tree with the intention of hurting a forestry worker — let alone possibly even killing a worker,” Parmar said.
“I condemn it. Our government condemns it. As my mentor, former premier John Horgan once said: ‘These people should get a life.’”
Although details are limited due to the active RCMP investigation, Parmar confirmed the spikes were found despite a deferral on logging, raising troubling questions about intent and timing.
🪵 What’s at stake?
The Fairy Creek watershed, home to rare old-growth trees, has become a national flashpoint. The initial logging deferral, made in 2021 at the request of the Pacheedaht First Nation, came amid mass protests and hundreds of arrests — some of the largest in Canadian history.
The deferral was extended in 2023 and now continues to September 30, 2026.
🌿 Parmar said the extension aligns with B.C.’s commitments to reconciliation and protecting ancient forest ecosystems.
He emphasized ongoing collaboration with local First Nations to ensure that future decisions about the land respect both heritage and safety.
🎥 Related:
- Why the future of B.C.’s forests is now an election flashpoint
- RCMP wrongfully arrested hiker near Fairy Creek protests: Review
📸 Captured in September 2021: RCMP officers stand on guard at the heart of the Fairy Creek protests, a defining moment in B.C.’s environmental movement.
(Photo: Ken Mizokoshi/CBC)
🌲 Parmar: “These are trees on their traditional territories.”
B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar reaffirmed the province’s commitment to long-term sustainability, stating that the NDP government is working closely with the Pacheedaht First Nation to “build a strong, robust, and sustainable forest sector for the next 100 years.”
The newly extended deferral now protects nearly 12 square kilometres of Crown forest in the Fairy Creek watershed — a sacred and ecologically vital area.
🔊 “It’s important for everyone to remember,” Parmar said, “whether you’re a British Columbian or someone drawn to protest at Fairy Creek, that these are trees on Pacheedaht traditional territory.
🌲 “The Work Continues,” Says B.C. Forests Minister
Minister Ravi Parmar confirmed that the province will continue working with the Pacheedaht First Nation, who have asked for more time to develop an integrated resource management plan for the Fairy Creek area.
🛑 What’s at Stake?
In 2021, B.C. approved a deferral of old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek watershed at the request of the Pacheedaht. The goal: give titleholders time to create stewardship plans to manage their ancestral lands.
⚖️ Largest Civil Disobedience in Canadian History
Since the deferral, nearly 1,200 people have been arrested protesting old-growth logging—after an injunction barred interference with operations. Then-B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau called it “the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.”
🗺️ This is more than a protest. It’s a movement about rights, reconciliation, and the future of our forests.
“In the forest’s stillness, voices rise — gave me the joy of all words again.”
A sign of resistance, a symbol of hope — standing tall at Fairy Creek, where ancient trees and new generations meet.
🌲 Justice Echoes Through the Forest 🌲
Contempt charges are being dropped after the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that RCMP arrests at Fairy Creek were mishandled — a step toward accountability in the fight to protect ancient trees.
The Fairy Creek protests sparked the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, and now, the spirit of protection lives on through political cooperation.
🤝 The B.C. NDP and Green Party reaffirmed their commitment to old-growth forests in their latest agreement — with Fairy Creek at its heart.
