Police enforcement of injunction order in Fairy Creek Watershed resumes
Lake Cowichan
2023-08-15 09:30 PDT
Police enforcement of the court-ordered injunction granted to Teal-Cedar Products Ltd. on April 1, 2021 in the Fairy Creek Watershed area near Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island will be resuming this morning on August 15, 2023.
Over the past several weeks, the company has reported numerous violations of persons obstructing, impeding and interfering with their ability to perform work in the area. There have also been reports from company employees of being harassed or intimidated, and their equipment and corporate vehicles vandalized on a forestry road outside of Port Renfrew. More recently, a group of individuals established a blockade on the TR-11 Forestry Service Road at the Gordon River Mainline, over the Gordon River, preventing the company from harvesting already felled timber.
While the BC RCMP has maintained a police presence in the area and have been monitoring the activities of protesters, the company has requested that the police enforcement clause of the injunction be implemented.
Operations will begin with the Police Liaison Team (PLT, formerly known as Division Liaison Team or DLT) advising individuals blockading the bridge that enforcement would be commencing. They will be given the opportunity to remove their blockade and leave the area or relocate to allow the company passage across the bridge, per the terms of the injunction, or face arrest.
Public safety is the primary concern for police as we attempt to resolve this issue,
says Superintendent Ken Floyd, Gold Commander, BC RCMP. We have always ensured that individuals are able to exercise their rights to peacefully, safely and lawfully protest within the terms set by the court in the injunction. Arrests are made as a last resort, over meaningful dialogue and negotiation. However, due to the ongoing nature of the complaints we can no longer delay enforcing a court-ordered injunction.
Police will continue to monitor the situation. Updates will be posted in the Lake Cowichan RCMP Detachment website as and when available.
Released by:
BC RCMP Communication Services
778-290-2929
Follow Us:
- Date modified: