Granny rages at Walbran
Valley logging
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Betty Krawczyk
is arrested while blocking logging in Walbran valley |
Dear editor,
At age 74, I am the elder of our group, Women In the Woods. We, along
with our supporters, are blockading a logging road on the Glad Lake
Main in the Upper Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island. There are two
different logging companies clear-cutting the ancient trees here,
Weyerhauser and TimberWest.
We are concentrating on Weyerhauser at the moment, because it is an
all-American firm, and symbolic of the invasion and occupation of
our public forests by US corporations. The CEOs of Weyerhauser were
also invited to the BC legislature by Gordon Campbell to help formulate
the groundwork of Campbell’s "Working Forest" Initiative.
This initiative will eventually privatize all of our public forests
in BC, which amounts in land mass to half of the province.
As a great-grandmother, these changes strike me to the heart. It means
my grandchildren, and the rest of the world, will never know the wildness
of these spiritual and botanical wonders.
Betty Krawczyk, Women in the Woods
74-year-old Betty Krawczyk was arrested on May 8 and jailed
for defying a court order not to block logging operations in the
Walbran Valley. Although no charge has been brought against her,
she was held in jail in Vancouver and Victoria for three weeks.
While being transferred between prisons she was held in handcuffs
and leg irons and chained to her airplane seat. Her next court appearance
is on June 16. To support Betty
and Women in the Woods call Carolyn on (250) 386-2749.
Let’s Keep the Peace Camp
Dear editor,
"Camp Freedom", the peace camp, based at Portal Park on
Hastings at Thurlow (just across from the U.S. consulate), has been
asked to go away immediately on the grounds that the city previously
made plans for some further landscaping and it is necessary to replant
the grass.
We have been tickled and proud to "brag" to family, visitors,
foes and friends that this small action for peace in Vancouver has
the support of our mayor, municipal council, parks board and police.
Vancouver likes to call ourself "the peace capital" -
so let’s act like it and maintain a small ongoing (continuous)
witness here for peace.
Laurel Grace
on behalf of the peace camp
Swami sends ripples of mirth
Dear editor,
State of the Universe Address by Swami Beyondananda was priceless.
I laughed so hard. Plus, I sent it to the President of the USA,
several good friends, and people who do public speaking on "serious"
subjects. Many, who are gurus who need to grrrow.
Mrs K.B. Kiernan, Vancouver
Equality for Scouts
Dear editor,
While reading about the new Scouts uniform, I was reminded of George
Orwell’s Animal Farm expression: "Some of us are more
equal than others." For, while girls are allowed to join (what
used to be called) the Boy Scouts, boys are not allowed to join
the Girl Scouts!
So much for equality, eh.
Sincerely,
Frank G. Sterle, Jr., White Rock
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