For Immediate Release
March 27, 1992
DONUT CHAIN JOINS DAISHOWA BOYCOTT
Country Style Donuts, a large donut chain based in Toronto, has
decided to join the growing boycott of Daishowa paper products.
The boycott of Daishowa products was initiated to force the pulp
& paper manufacturer to make a clear, public and unequivocal
commitment not to cut or buy wood cut in the unceded traditional
territories of the Lubicon Lake Cree Nation until there is a
settlement of Lubicon land rights.
The Friends of the Lubicon has asked companies who use Daishowa
paper bags to cancel contracts with the company to prevent the
massive clear cut logging planned for the Lubicon peoples
homelands near Peace River, Alberta. To date, 11 companies
including Pizza Pizza, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario,
Cultures Fresh Foods, Mr. C's Donuts, Ho-Lee-Chow, Knechtel's
Wholesale Grocers and more have joined the boycott. Daishowa has
publicly admitted the boycott is hurting them. Friends of the
Lubicon are currently negotiating with six more companies
concerning their use of Daishowa bags.
Country Style was initially contacted late last year and asked to
join the boycott. Since then Peter Mertens, Country Style's
Executive Vice President, has exchanged several letters with
Daishowa V.P. Tom Hamaoka, asking Hamaoka to make a commitment
not to log on Lubicon lands until the land rights are settled.
Mr. Hamaoka has refused to make such a commitment.
In a telephone conversation with Kevin Thomas, a Friends of the
Lubicon representative, on March 24, Mr. Mertens expressed
disappointment that Daishowa was unwilling to give him the
commitment he was asking for, leaving him no alternative but to
join the boycott.
Friends of the Lubicon sees the Daishowa boycott as an important
expression of grassroots support for Aboriginal land rights and
an opportunity to put economic weight behind demands for a just
settlement of the Lubicon peoples fifty year struggle.
We plan to celebrate Country Style's joining the boycott with a
twelve-pack of jellies and black coffee.
For more information please contact Kevin Thomas at (416) 972-
6293.
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March 26, 1992, letter from Peter A. Mertens, Executive Vice
President, Country Style Donuts, to Daishowa Vice President Tom
Hamaoka
Dear Mr. Hamaoka:
In my letter of February 7th, 1992, I expressed to you my concern
of having Country Style Donuts drawn into this affair.
This situation has now deteriorated and in the absence of a clear
statement, which in your letter of February 24, 1992, you decline
to make, I have no alternative but to arrange an alternate source
of supply.
Subject to any additional information being supplied by you, this
change will be effective April 30th, 1992.
Yours very truly,
COUNTRY STYLE DONUTS CDS
A Member of Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
Peter A. Mertens
Executive Vice President