Powell River & Island Timberlands
Powell River has been fighting for its urban forests, which are slated to be logged by Island Timberlands. I.T. has been at the forefront of many forestry conflicts on the west coast of British Columbia, from Cortes Island to Port Alberni to Powell River. Communities are uniting to oppose the logging practices of Island Timberlands, which is the second largest landowner in BC, with over 235,000 Ha. of private managed forestland on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. I.T. is majority owned by the BCIMC, the arms-length investment firm of the BC government, which invests all the public sector pension funds. The BC Teachers’ Federation, whose pensions are invested in I.T., recently filed a motion to oppose I.T,’s more controversial logging practices in the Alberni Valley.
UPDATE: After I.T. did not respond to the concerns of the community, stemming from their logging in active bird-nesting season, activists from the Powell River Forest Coalition blockaded I.T.’s machinery and forced the company to withdraw from the area. With the coming of fire season, the company has not yet resumed its operations, but could return in the fall.
We will continue to follow this situation closely.