Participants of the Save Old Growth Forests protest in Revelstoke march down McKenzie. **Photo by Lys Morton**

Demonstrators gathered at Revelstoke’s Grizzly Plaza, Thursday, Sept. 28 to mark three years since the B.C. government announced the Old Growth Strategic Review and highlight how few of the province’s 14 recommendations have been fulfilled.

Wildsight, a local conservation organization with branches in Revelstoke, Golden and Invermere organized the march in Revelstoke. Participants were dressed in various tree costumes provided by local theatre Runaway Moon.

Over 60 participants marched down the length of McKenzie Avenue and back, starting and ending their route at Grizzly Plaza where speeches from Wildsight members and marchers were held.

“It’s time we stop talking and old growth logging throughout the province,” Conservation Director and march leader Casey Brennan said to the crowd at Grizzly Plaza.

Old Growth logging goals remain unfulfilled

Wildsight, along with Sierra Club and other community organizations said their goals for the day of action were to remind residents about the Old Growth Strategic Review and inform what commitments remain unfulfilled.

Speakers at the Revelstoke march included ten-year-old Evey, who recounted exploring the old growth patch located in the Downie River Loop area north of Revelstoke.

“There were all kinds of fungi I had never seen before,” Evey shared, dressed in a wrap resembling tree bark and wearing a foam cap shaped like a mushroom.

Evey also told participants about a hike classmates took through the old growth where they came across a tree estimated to be the oldest in the patch.

“Here we were, in a forest of big trees, in front of an even bigger tree that all made us say, ‘wow’.”

The “only old growth we have”

Three other young activists spoke at the march, with their words being echoed on postcards Wildsight passed around to marchers to send to premier Eby.

“This is all the old growth we have in our lifetime,” one postcard read. The phrase was attributed to, “the kids already living and those to come.”

While the march disrupted traffic along McKenzie Avenue during lunch hours, the marchers faced little pushback from those affected and were cheered on by occupants of two different vehicles that were brought to a stop by the demonstrators. Observers unfamiliar with the topic stepped amongst marchers and asked for clarification before returning to the sidewalk and loudly chanting, “moss is boss, cedar is leader.”