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Edmonton, AB T6J 1A4
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FAX: 403-437-0719
August 22, 1991
Enclosed for your information is a copy of a newspaper article on
the situation with Daishowa and the Lubicons. The article
appeared in the Peace River Record-Gazette. Peace River is of
course the small northern Alberta town now dominated by the huge
Daishowa pulp mill.
The article contains both creative license with the Lennarson
quotes and at least two factual errors. The creative license is
instructive but is essentially unimportant. The factual errors
require correction in a newspaper article being circulated for
information by the Lubicon people.
The first factual error is in quoting Lennarson as saying that
"There was an agreement struck between the Lubicon Lake Band and
Daishowa in December of 1988." In fact the agreement between
Daishowa and the Lubicons was made on March 07, 1988.
The second factual error is in quoting Lennarson as saying that
"Daishowa had agreed not to log in the disputed (Lubicon)
territory until the fall of 1989". In fact the agreement between
Daishowa and the Lubicons provided that Daishowa would not try to
log in the unceded Lubicon territory until there'd been a
satisfactory settlement of Lubicon land rights negotiated between
the Lubicon people and the Government of Canada, and then an
additional agreement negotiated between Daishowa and the Lubicon
people regarding Lubicon wildlife and environmental concerns.
* * * * *
Re-printed from the Peace River RECORD-GAZETTE, August 14, 1991
LOBBY GROUPS THREATEN DAISHOWA BOYCOTT IN EUROPE
By Barb Toker
Record-Gazette Staff
*EDMONTON
A meeting of representatives from over 100 organizations across
Europe and North America has resulted in plans for increased
lobbying against the use of Daishowa produced products in
countries represented at the gathering.
The boycott was proposed after participants to the 7th European
Meeting of North American Indian Support Groups unanimously
passed a resolution calling on the pulp and paper company to halt
logging operations on land claimed by the Lubicon Lake Indian
Band of Little Buffalo.
According to Band advisor Fred Lennarson, Daishowa had come to an
agreement with the Lubicon Lake Band to "stay out" of the area
the Band claimed was part of their traditional territory.
"There was an agreement struck between the Lubicon Lake Band and
Daishowa in Dec. of 1988," Lennarson said, "Daishowa has since
been slip-sliding all over the place."
Lennarson says Daishowa had agreed not to log in the disputed
territory until the fall of 1989, but has since purchased a
company that is logging in the area.
Wayne Crouse of the Peace River Pulp Mill says Daishowa is owner
of Brewster Construction, a firm which he saws has logged the
area in question for about 13 years.
"The pulp mill itself is not doing any logging on the east side
of the river this year," Crouse said, "The only logging that
would be taking place...would be done by Brewster Construction."
Crouse says that while Daishowa did meet with Lubicon Band
representatives, no formal agreement resulted from the
discussions.
"There was not a formal agreement as such," Crouse said, "There
wasn't an agreement for any prescribed period of time."
Crouse says Daishowa officials made it clear that the company
would eventually make use of the timber of stocks.
"We always said that there was going to come a time, business-
wise, that we would have to go ahead (with logging in the area),"
Crouse said.
Lennarson says efforts will be made to convince customers of
Daishowa paper products to halt purchases unless the company
ceases logging of the disputed territory. He points to European
newspapers as Daishowa customers and says protesters will put
pressure on those publications.
"We're just as serious about stopping them as they are about
going ahead," Lennarson said.
Crouse says the situation has been magnified.
"The perception is that there is some massive amount of logging,"
Crouse said, and points out that in the land designated by the
Alberta government as a possible reserve no logging activity
exists.
As for the European protests, Crouse said, "I don't think they
understand the situation very well in Canada."