More than one hundred well-known Canadians and international celebrities have signed an open letter to Premier John Horgan calling on him to preserve Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests.
Among the signatories are former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, musicians Neil Young and Bryan Adams, former Governor-General Adriene Clarkson, and international climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg, as well as Indigenous leaders, scientists, foresters, environmentalists, business leaders, and politicians.
Author Margaret Atwood, actors Dame Emma Thompson, Jane Fonda, Morgan Fairchild, and others have also signed the letter created by Canopy, an organization that works with the fashion industry, packaging, and publishing companies to protect ancient and endangered forests.
Previously, Canopy has helped BC publisher Raincoast Books print more than a million volumes of several Harry Potter books on Ancient Forest Friendly paper.
The open letter to Horgan says that “for thousands of years, these forests have cleaned our air and water, nurtured species, stabilized the climate, and have been stewarded by Indigenous Nations.”
The letter points out that less than three per cent of the old-growth and that “some things can’t be replaced.”