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Wilderness Annihilation
The annihilation of the wilderness that has gone on at break neck speed in British Columbia (BC)
is a grotesque display of corporate license. By destroying the rare and precious groves of ancient trees that
define the rich biodiversity of the old growth temperate rainforests of BC, the multinational forest industry is
demonstrating its total disregard for what is the natural legacy of human beings everywhere. Less than
three hours from BC's capital city, Victoria, the American logging company Weyerhaeuser ruthlessly clearcut logged
publicly owned forest lands of the Upper Walbran Valley, including monumental cedars (right), the celebrated "Tree
of Life" of First Nations. Such big cedars are vanishing in BC due to industrial logging and with them will
go the world renowned tradition of totem poles. |
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Weyerhaeuser, Vancouver Island, 2003
Photo: Richard Boyce
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"Looking Out #7," by M. N. Y, 2006.
Photo: Rocking Raven
A giant spruce tree on Haida Gwaii is among the biggest trees in BC that have survived industrial logging
(right). Much of the work by Haida artist and longtime forest activist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is inspired by
Haida Gwaii. An example is the watercolour (above) which is part of a series called "Looking Out." As
a political artist, Yahgulanaas aims to bring public affairs and art together as in his illustrated tale of
clearcut logging on Haida Gwaii: "The Last Voyage of the Black Ship." See:
Haida Manga - Tree
Spirit. |
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Big tree on Haida Gwaii, 2007.
Photo: Justin Zoll |
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