Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00162)

>Anybody heard of some interesting cocktail
>tidbits of what is happening with Theosophy in Nederland? 

Mr. Guy Chevrette, Ministre d'Etat des Ressources Naturelles 
Ministre des Affaires Autochtones 
Fax:  418/643-4318 and 418/646-4918 

Dear Minister Chevrette, 

We are writing to express our alarm over Hydro Quebec's intention to
divert the Pekanb and Carheil rivers, tributaries of the world famous
Moise River. 
 A decision by the Province of Quebec to approve this diversion would go 
against world opinion and subvert the democractic process in which all 
sectors of the public condemned the proposal. 

We are aware that the proposed diversions was condemned by your own
agency, the BAPE and was not to be approved without proper scrutiny by the
public and your agency, the BAPE.  We fully support this position.  We
urge you suspend authorization of the St. Marguerite 3 (SM3) project, as
the BAPE recommended in 1993, until the impact studies suggested by them
have been completed, and until the modified proposal has been subject to
public review. 

We are aware that Mr. David Cliche, Quebec Minister of the Environment has
publicly supported the Moise watershed as a Heritage River.  We urge you
to stand by this commitment and support the permanent protection of the
Moisie River, a pristine river by declaring it a Heritage River now. 

To tamper with this great river, the jewel of the province merely to 
provide cheap electricity would endanger the largest returning salmon 
habitat.  The Moise River is North America's greatest Atlantic salmon 
spawning river with 10-45,000 Atlantic Salmon returning there every year. 
The Snake River's salmon are endangered.  Regulation does not work.  This 
can be confirmed by the Atlantic Salmon Federation and was a conclusion
put forward in the BAPE Report. 

Please act immediately to declare the Moise a Heritage River to be 
permanently protected before it is too late.  Please keep it wild. 

Sincerely, 

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS 

cc: Mr. David Cliche, Minister of the Environment       Fax:  418/643-4143

      Premier Lucien Bouchard                   Fax:  418/643-3924 
      Armand Mckenzie, Avocat                   Fax:  418/968-2370 

ANTI-ENVIRONMENTALISTS BURN NUXALK FLAG 
VIOLENCE AGAINST ENVIRONMENTALISTS CONTINUES 

Sunday 13th July, 1997, Bella Coola, B.C.: Elected head councilor Archie 
Pootlass this morning led a mob of anti-environmentalists today who
boarded the MV Starlet, a fishing boat owned by two local
environmentalists, and burned a flag given to them by Head Hereditary
Chief Nuximlayc (Lawrence Pootlass). The flag was being flown at the
request of environmental supporters from the Nuxalk Nation, who had
invited the Forest Action Network into their territory to help protest the
logging of many important rainforest valleys. This follows on recent
hostilities including: 

 * A mob of anti-environmentalists assaulted at least three people in
Bella Coola on Saturday evening. The assaults took place as the MV Starlet
tried to tie up to the dock. One young woman was assaulted then pushed
into the water, another woman who was filming the violence was assaulted
by two men and her $2000 video-camera smashed then thrown into the water.
A second videographer was pushed to the ground. 
* The cook from a local cafe was attacked on the same evening for 
professing to 'like trees'. 
* At a public meeting at the LoBelCo hall in the Bella Coola valley on the
night of July 9th, an anti-environmentalist openly recommended dynamiting 
the MV Starlet, as well as Greenpeace's MV Moby Dick. 
* Later on that night, the vehicle of a local environmental activist, 
Simon Waters, parked just off the road between the meeting hall and Bella 
Coola, had all its windows smashed. 
* Numerous death threats have been made against environmentalists. 
* On June 23rd, the grave of a young environmentalist who died two years 
ago in a hiking accident in the valley was desecrated. This vandalism was 
described on the community page of the local paper, the Coast Mountain 
News, as a "Totally ugly, heartless act". 

"It seems a minority of local residents are trying to take the law into 
their own hands, much to the annoyance of most of our community," said 
Simon Waters, FAN spokesperson and Bella Coola valley resident. 

"We are witnessing the results of Premier Glen Clarke's antagonistic 
statements towards environmentalists." said Gavin Edwards of the Forest 
Action Network. "He has to accept responsibility for inciting the increase
in violence." 

In May and June, Premier Clarke went on a tour of resource dependent 
communities and encouraged local citizens to form "an army" to "combat" 
environmentalists. 

For more information please call Gavin Edwards or Greg Higgs at (250)
799-5800 ;Gavin Edwards FOREST ACTION NETWORK 
Box 625, Bella Coola, BC Canada  V0T 1C0 
TEL (250) 799-5800 FAX (250) 799-5830 
gedwards@envirolink.org http://www.fanweb.org 
        ** CAMPAIGNING TO SAVE THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST ** 

Silver