Headed along Humboldt Street towards the harbour, Patty Pan and several other people hold on to a log acting as a brace at the rear of a makeshift trolley as it carries a 1,300-pound slice from a felled Douglas fir tree.

含羞草研究社淚 feel a little overwhelmed to be honest with you,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚t was over a thousand years old, it含羞草研究社檚 hard to wrap our human minds around that.含羞草研究社�

Pan was among more than 100 old-growth forest proponents who made their way from Victoria含羞草研究社檚 downtown library to the legislature, disrupting traffic at multiple spots along the way on Wednesday.

The procession was promoted as a protest against the 含羞草研究社渞ampant loss of irreplaceable and globally-important ancient temperate rainforests in British Columbia.含羞草研究社� The march also aimed to bring attention to interrelated struggles for Indigenous rights and call for a safe climate future, an immediate moratorium on all old-growth logging and a just transition strategy for impacted workers and communities.

含羞草研究社淲e are here to protect and care for our great mother含羞草研究社檚 gift to us, the old growth,含羞草研究社� said Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones, outside the library before the march began.

含羞草研究社淲e are here to help our governments actually establish some values, and to us, our leading value is the old-growth forest 含羞草研究社� standing.含羞草研究社�

READ:

While the march was stopped at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt streets, a participant who went by the name Cedar said the focus needs to be on looking for solutions.

含羞草研究社淥nce you lose a 3,000-year-old tree, it含羞草研究社檚 gone forever,含羞草研究社� the protester said. 含羞草研究社淚 think we should make (all old-growth forest areas) a national park and I think we should compensate loggers, and I think we have to do all of that together.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 want to be on the right side of history, it含羞草研究社檚 as simple as that.含羞草研究社�

John Lugsdin said the ecological variety of coastal forests is unique and needs to be preserved.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a richness that if we choose to eliminate it, we含羞草研究社檒l never see it again,含羞草研究社� the Salt Spring Island resident said. 含羞草研究社淚f we don含羞草研究社檛 preserve it now, it含羞草研究社檒l be lost forever. It含羞草研究社檚 just not replaceable.含羞草研究社�

In early November, the B.C. government deferred logging in an area that represents about half of the identified old-growth forest in the province that is not yet protected. Affected Indigenous communities were given 30 days to indicate whether they support the deferrals, wish to change them or needed more time, but the process caused concern from several community leaders.

As he helped direct the eight-foot-diameter log section, Pan said the slice of what was a 1,200-year-old tree was a symbol for how the protesters felt.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e here to show the government that we含羞草研究社檙e not going to put up with business as usual.含羞草研究社�

READ: