FEATURE

he fight to halt mining explora-
tion in the wilderness of Van-
couver Island’s Strathcona
Provincial Park last week
brought together a new environmental
coalition dedicated to halting mining
exploration in the park and to challenging
the land use and resource management
policies of the Social Credit government.

The coalition, made up of Native and
environmental groups as well as
representatives of the New Democratic
Party and the United Fishermen and
Allied Workers Union, was formally
established Feb. 10 following a rally in the
park called by the Friends of Strathcona.
Nearly 300 people gathered at the Ralph
River campsite to protest the exploratory
drilling by Cream Silver Mines Ltd.,
begun earlier this year after the provincial
government changed the park boundaries
to permit new resource development.

Some 40 people met after the rally to
hammer out a joint statement which was
signed by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal
Council; the Green Party of B.C.; Friends
of Strathcona Park; Frank Cox,
UFAWU,; Kwagiulth District Council;

6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 1988

Valhalla Wilderness Society; Arrowsmith
Ecological Society; New Democratic
Party; Kwakiutl Territorial Fisheries
Commission; Western Canada Wilderness
Commission; and the Stein Wilderness
Alliance.

It declared the groups’ “diametric
opposition to the policies of the provincial
government in land use, resource
management and other areas” and stated
their agreement “to work together to
establish an alternative agenda to that of
the present government.

“We support the Friends of Strathcona
Park in their demand for:

e “An immediate halt to exploratory
drilling in the park;

@ “Preservation of the quality of water
and habitat in the watersheds of
Strathcona Park;

@ “Open public hearings which are
unbiased, legally constituted, well-
publicized and involve Native, union and
environmental groups;

@ “Restoration of the 1986 boundaries
and status of Strathcona Park;

e “An end to mining, logging and
other industrial use of the park.”

The statement also called for “respect
and support for the right of the First

By Sean Griffin

Atleft, Cream Silver Mines’ drill rig in Strathcona Park; top right, Nuu-Chah-
Nulth Tribal Council elder Archie Frank addresses rally in Ralph River park;
bottom right, demonstrators march up to the drill site.

TRIBUNE PHOTOS — SEAN GRIFFIN

Nations to resolve the issues of aboriginal
title and Native land claims.

“We agree that preservation of the
environment and creation of jobs are not
incompatible. We will develop policies
which foster both.

“We recognize that the conflict in
Strathcona Park is but one struggle
representative of many in the province
and we will work together on this issue
and the others as well,” the statement
said.

It called on “other interested groups --
and individuals to join us.”

The statement, which was signed by
many groups which have participated in
campaigns to save the Stein River
wilderness and to halt logging on Lyell
Island in the Queen Charlottes, echoed
the increasing conflict over environmental
issues that has been created by the Social
Credit policies of allowing virtually
unrestricted exploitation of resources.

That conflict has become particularly
acute in Strathcona Park following the
government’s decision in March,1987 to
change boundaries in the 77-year-old
provincial park and to designate certain
areas as “recreation areas” where mining
and logging are permitted.

The province’s oldest provincial park,
Strathcona was originally created in 1911
under the Strathcona Park Act. The
legislation specifically prohibited mining
on the land set aside, although over the
next 40 years that restriction would be :
first lifted and then re-imposed.

In 1965, the W.A.C. Bennett
government designated Strathcona as a
Class B park in which resource
development was allowed. The decision
was hailed by mining companies on whose
behalf it was made.

Westmin Resources and Cream Silver
Mines Ltd., two companies which are now
working claims in the park, staked them
following the 1965 decision.

In 1973, however, the NDP government
imposed a new moratorium on mining in
provincial parks, although it allowed
Noranda-owned Westmin Resources
which was by this time operating a
copper-zinc-silver mine on Buttle Lake in
the central part of the park, to continue.

In 1979, Cream Silver launched a law
suit against the provincial government for
compensation on the mining claims that it
was not able to work because of the
moratorium. But the case was not heard
until 1986 — and until another mining