Industry News News Forestry Management Harvesting
Teal Jones to appeal BC court’s decision not to extend Fairy Creek injunction

On Wednesday, Sept. 29, Teal Jones issued the following statement regarding yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court of British Columbia not to extend the injunction against interference with the company’s forestry activities in Tree Farm License 46 on southern Vancouver Island.

“Teal Jones was disappointed by yesterday’s Supreme Court decision. We have already notified the activists’ legal team we will be appealing. To do otherwise would be to allow anarchy to reign over civil society, and for misinformation campaigns to win over fact. The blockaders have been flouting both the stated wishes of the local First Nations and the well-reasoned court injunction, while engaging in dangerous and illegal activity and spreading misinformation through sophisticated and well-financed campaigns.

We will be continuing to peacefully pursue our forestry activities in Tree Farm License 46. We expect all individuals will maintain the peace, and allow legal activities to continue. We condemn all acts of unlawful violence and aggression, and call upon protest organizers to do the same. We will report all illegal activity to RCMP.

If we are unable to pursue our work we may be forced to lay off employees and shut down mills. As Justice Thompson said in his decision “… the economic impact of the continuing illegal activity on Teal Cedar is not only irreparable but significant …”

Our activities in Tree Farm Licence 46 are responsible, consistent with all provincial regulations and engagement with local First Nations. Our work in the area supports hundreds of good jobs while providing the materials needed for numerous products we all rely on every day. A value-added manufacturer, Teal Jones mills all logs here in B.C., using 100 per cent of every log in our mills.

Teal Jones purchased rights to TFL 46 about 20 years ago to increase our supply of second growth logs, as we were investing to build a new mill to process smaller timber. To this day, most harvesting in the area is in second growth. We harvest some old growth as well as it has unique characteristics needed for some value-added products.

It is a myth that old growth in the area is at risk. The province doubled the area of parks in the region in the 1990s, adding areas including the 16,500-hectare Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park. There are also numerous Old Growth Management Areas and other protected areas within the Tree Farm Licence – areas set aside due to values such as wildlife habitat and unique trees. Most of Fairy Creek itself has been in protected areas for years, well before activists showed up, including the entire valley bottom. We agree B.C. forests are a national treasure that must be preserved for future generations, but also that we can take a balanced approach and have a thriving forestry industry as well.”