Indigenous elders and activists camp on Vancouver Island to block old-growth logging

In the early hours of a recent morning, roughly 20 forest defenders occupied a logging road on southwest Vancouver Island, sleeping in tents and the backs of cars to block a scheduled harvest of old-growth trees. Among them was 86-year-old Pacheedaht elder Bill Jones, who recalled decades of watching the forest disappear. When a logging truck appeared at 3 a.m., it slowed, idled, and ultimately reversed without entering the site, marking a modest but symbolic win for the protesters.

The area contains some of the planet’s rarest coastal temperate rainforests, with trees over 250 years old that store high amounts of carbon. While the provincial government cites deferrals and investments in second-growth timber as steps toward reducing reliance on old-growth, critics argue that many protections are temporary and that logging continues on much of the remaining forest. The conflict also highlights tensions within Indigenous communities over economic development versus conservation on traditional territories.