Protestors gathered outside of Mark Furey's Office rallying against clear-cutting. Photo: Evan Taylor
Protestors met in front of MLA Mark Furey’s office this afternoon to protest clear-cutting activities across the province.
Around 50 people attended the event in Bridgewater which was held in conjunction with five other protests across Nova Scotia.
The province-wide protest was inspired by Jacob Fillmore who has been protesting clear-cutting for the past 106 days in front of Province House in Halifax.
Morgan Reinhardt who helped organize the Bridgewater event spoke about Fillmores’ impact, “Many of the people here today have been inspired by his actions that are working towards creating a more sustainable ecosystem.”
During Reinhardts’ speech at the rally, she said that the forestry industry is trying to create a divide between rural and urban interests.
“They want us to believe that Halifax activists are hatching a diabolic plot to control our rural way of life,” Reinhardt said. “They want us to believe that rural people do not support an end to clear-cutting or strong and comprehensive legislation that protects biodiversity.”
Based on the turnout for the protest and the passing motorists that honked in support Reinhardt believes there are lots of people in rural communities that are opposed to clear-cutting.
The goal of the protest was clear, to establish a moratorium on all clear-cutting activities in Nova Scotia until the province can fully implement the Lahey Report.
The Lahey Report was completed by Dalhousie Professor William Lahey and it recommends the use of selective cutting in favour of clear-cutting which is less harmful to biodiversity.
