Police clear Vancouver Island protest camp, forestry activities to resume

LAKE COWICHAN — Police on Vancouver Island say an area where protesters set up camp in August in an effort to block old-growth logging has been cleared, allowing the forestry company to resume its operations.

RCMP had begun enforcing a court-ordered injunction on Tuesday that prohibited anyone from blocking or interfering with forestry activities in the Carmanah Valley, with most protesters leaving peacefully, while four were arrested.

But the Mounties say that the next day they found several people had either attached themselves to structures or set up in what they describe as a “tree sit.”

Police say two women and a man were arrested on Wednesday, though they were later released with conditions and court appearances scheduled for January.

Following the arrests, police say the area was closed off to allow Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership to clear the roadway and resume its operations.

The enforcement operation follows a British Columbia Supreme Court ruling in September that granted the injunction to the forestry company, which is co-owned by Western Forest Products and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations.

The protesters issued a statement on Aug. 25, saying they put up a large wooden sculpture of a cougar as part of their effort to block logging trucks, and called for the permanent protection of ancient forests across B.C.

The Pacheedaht First Nation had previously issued a statement denouncing the blockade on its territory, saying it was obstructing approved forestry activities.

In a statement issued a few days before the injunction was granted, Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership said it recognizes the area is “a place of high ecological and cultural significance” and its approach reflects that understanding, while following the Pacheedaht and B.C. government goal to prioritize ecological integrity with a “limited, carefully managed forest harvesting.”

Police say a total of six people were arrested this week for allegedly breaching the injunction, while one man was arrested for criminal mischief.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.