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Protesters, Teal Jones disagree about Fairy Creek BԪַgarbageBԪַ

Abandoned or confiscated? Company says personal items are being returned
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According to the RCMP, this is a pile of garbage that was collected from abandoned old-growth logging camps in the Fairy Creek watershed. (BC RCMP photo)

Protesters from the Fairy Creek old-growth logging blockades say their belongings are being improperly removed and treated as garbage by industry.

The forest company operating in the area in question says most of the items in question were either in defiance of the injunction against the blockades or abandoned.

People at the blockade say the RCMP is allowing Teal Jones BԪַ which owns the logging rights to Tree Farm Licence 46, including the Fairy Creek watershed BԪַ to take out dumpster-loads of their belongings and dispose of them at area waste disposal facilities.

According to protester Carole Toothill, most of the items are coming from camps which are not blocking roads or directly impeding industry, and thus should be exempt from the BC Supreme Court injunction. In addition to protesters, the camps house supporters and legal observers. Kitchens and medical tents have been torn down and disposed of along with other tents and living quarters, Toothill said.

Toothill says that photos provided by the RCMP of ramshackle camps full of garbage were taken after raids, and that most of the time, the camps are well-maintained.

BԪַOverall, everything has been beautifully managed,BԪַ she said.

Teal Jones says it is just cleaning up the mess protesters left behind.

BԪַTeal Jones has an obligation to keep roads in TFL 46 clear, so it has to be cleaned up, and that falls to the company. To do this, Teal Jones has contracted licensed firms to secure and return personal effects left behind at abandoned protestor camps or after arrests are made,BԪַ the company said in a statement. BԪַGarbage and debris is gathered based on advice from the RCMP.

BԪַThe overwhelming majority of the material Teal Jones removes is garbage. The thousands of pounds of garbage removed by Teal JonesBԪַ employees includes tarps, tires, buckets, plastic garbage, rebar, PVC pipes, wheelbarrows, spoiled food, wet clothing, diapers, personal hygiene products, lawn chairs, mattresses, used furniture and other remnants of the unauthorized camps and structures the blockaders left behind.BԪַ

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Chris Manseau said personal items taken from Fairy Creek are being stored by Teal Jones, and people need to reach out to the company in order to have it returned.

BԪַTeal Jones makes good faith efforts to remove any personal effects before disposing the garbage,BԪַ the company statement said. BԪַTeal Jones has also returned personal effects in accordance with requests from the Rainforest Flying SquadBԪַs liaisons. The process for reclaiming property is clearly communicated to blockaders.BԪַ

Toothill disputes this claim and says most items are disposed of indiscriminately.

BԪַIt does not get sorted,BԪַ she insisted. BԪַIt gets taken straight to the dump. WeBԪַve probably lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff.BԪַ

Toothill said she and her companions recognized stuff from one of the Fairy Creek camps in a dumpster at the Duncan-area Bings Creek waste facility. One of them was able to retrieve a blanket, but employees wouldnBԪַt let them into the dumpster to retrieve the rest of the items, and police from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment refused to help.

Manseau said that protesters have been given chances to remove their items before they are confiscated and that police have made efforts to return items when possible.

BԪַPersons not wishing to be arrested have been given the opportunity to transport belongings left at sites for those being escorted from the area,BԪַ he said. BԪַThrough conversations with members conducting the enforcement, items such as bags, tents, medication and even drones, that have been located have been returned to their rightful owners.BԪַ

In addition to tents and other belongings, protesters say they have also had their vehicles removed and damaged by Teal Jones or its contractors.

Vehicles that are towed by Teal Jones, the protesters say, are held in private lots that arenBԪַt designated as vehicle impound lots, and the valuables are removed. Protesters are required to pay $2,500 to get their vehicles back.

The vehicles being towed are in direct contravention of the injunction, Teal Jones said.

BԪַOnly those vehicles identified by RCMP as being illegally parked are being removed,BԪַ the company stated. BԪַThe cost of retrieving vehicles reflects the expense of towing vehicles out of a remote area, storage and security, and the damage done to Teal Jones.

BԪַIn some cases vehicle owners have removed their tires, positioned their vehicle at a narrow point, and taken other steps to hinder access and make removal as difficult as possible. That strongly indicates the people parking those vehicles know theyBԪַre doing so illegally. Obviously, anyone parking a vehicle in direct contravention of a court-ordered injunction should expect that vehicle will be towed.BԪַ

Manseau said any seized vehicles are not the responsibility of the RCMP.



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
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