/* Written 7:49 PM Sep 26, 1996 by web:eroots in nfn.tempforest */
Owain Lake Ancient Pine
Forest Need You!!
This is an urgent call for activists to come to the aid of the third
largest remaining ancient pine ecosystem in North America. The
Owain Lake Ancient Forest ecosystem, located in the Temagami district
of northern Ontario, is currently under siege by the logging company
Goulard Lumber. Only 1% of ancient red and white pine ecosystems
remain in North America, and one half of these are located in the
Temagami district.
EARTHROOTS, an Ontario based environmental action group, initiated
an ongoing action camp on August 30th in the area to stop the
destruction of this rare and irreplaceable ecosystem. WE NEED
SUPPORT!!! WE NEED COMMITTED (AND IF POSSIBLE, EXPERIENCED)
ACTIVISTS TO MAKE THEIR STAND TO SAVE THIS ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM!!
To date (as of September 25), 40 activists have been arrested in
defence of these ancient stands. We need you to add your voice
(and your body) to the many that are demanding the preservation of
Owain Lake and the remaining ancient pine forests in Temagami.
What you will need:
-camping gear (be ready for cold weather at night, and bring rain gear)
-all needed registration and licenses for your vehicle (police are checking)
-enthusiasm, new ideas and a willingness to defend this place
-donations of food, camping gear (in particular cold weather gear),
climbing gear and other action tools would be welcomed!!
What we will provide to you:
-food (we have a functioning kitchen to feed all working participants)
-legal support
-our unending gratitude
What to expect:
-police presence-Ontario Provincial Police are out in full force-
checkpoints are present along the Rabbit Lake Road (the access road
to Owain Lake)-only the driver of the vehicle has to provide their
ID-all others can decline, and vehicular searches should be declined
-a group of committed activists engaging in direct action skirmishes
to stop this destruction waiting to welcome you
Other camp info:
-the camp is alcohol and illicit drug free
-please, if at all possible, leave your pets at home
-come ready to work-this is not a party zone
How to get here:
-from south or east of Ontario-once you are in southern Ontario,
head north on Highway 400 to Highway 11-follow Highway 11 north to
North Bay, and continue on Hwy 11, 75 kilometres (roughly 40 miles)
north, to Rabbit Lake Road (on your right, just after Gramp's Place
Gas Bar and Store)-it's another 25 kilometres (roughly 14 miles) in
to the base camp
-from the northwest-follow Highway 11/17, and stay on Highway 11
when Highways 11 and 17 split, all the way to Gramp's and the Rabbit
Lake Road as above
-from all other points, call us for specific directions
For more information:
Call EARTHROOTS at (416)599-0152 to get more
detailed travel information or updates on the camp
situation, and visit our Web site at
eroots@web.apc.org. Our e-mail address is
eroots@web.net.
If for some reason you cannot come to the Earthroots Forest Action
Camp in the Owain Lake Forest, you can still help us defend this rare
ecosystem.
1. Mail or fax letters to:
Premier Mike Harris Hon. Chris Hodgson
Legislature Building Minister of Natural Resources
Queen's Park 6th Floor, Whitney Block
Toronto, Ontario 99 Wellesley St. West
M7A 1W3 Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1W3
Fax: (416)325-3745 Fax: (416)314-2216
SAVE OWAIN LAKE
ANCIENT FOREST!!
Save the Owain Lake
Ancient Forest!!
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Comments from NativeNet listowner, Gary Trujillo (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us):
Following are quotes from an article previously posted to NATIVE-L which
serve to establish the importance of this issue to aboriginal peoples:
From: nfnena@igc.apc.org (Native Forest Network-ENA)
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 21:03:04 GMT
Subject: Re: Temagami Urgent Action Alert
>From Kingston Temagami Action Group ("cafe003@intcafe.kosone.com" or
"4kem@qlink.queensu.ca"):
Recent Ontario government actions threaten 48% of North America's
remaining old growth red and white pine forests, all of it on native
land...
"We are not giving up our struggle for justice. We can't; we have not and
never will. This land is our land, as well as that of our descendants
6,000 years from now; there is no other motherland for us on earth."
Chief Gary Potts of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai in 1988
...First Nations and environmental groups have begun the fight against the
Provincial Conservative (Tory) government's plans to destroy one of the
world's last remaining old growth pine forests in the Temagami region of
Northern Ontario, Canada. The battle's opening salvoes have seen a
logging bridge bombed, several others set on fire, blockades set up with
35 protesters arrested, and court action launched against the Minister of
Natural Resources.
...N'Daki Menan (Temagami) has been the homeland of the Teme-Augama
Anishnabai for more than 6,000 years. Seeking a treaty with the
Canadian government since 1877, they have struggled for 120 years
against the exploitation and destruction of their traditional lands.
Teme-Augama blockades against logging on their land in the spring of
1988 were continued in the spring of 1989 with the participation of
environmentalists. More than 350 people were arrested. Despite the
government's strong-arm tactics, the blockades saved the Temagami forest
and forced the Peterson government into serious negotiations with the
Teme-Augama in 1990. The present government has set the clock back to
1988 by unilaterally ceasing these negotiations and is disregarding
international law by allowing resource extraction to proceed on
contested land.
(For a complete copy of the previous article and other articles posted
to NATIVE-L, please see "http://bioc09.uthscsa.edu/natnet/archive/nl/")