Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce says Fairy Creek protests impacting tourism, raising safety concerns

Victoria -

The Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce says it's working hard to make sure visitors know it's safe to visit the community and nearby eco-tourism sites as clashes between old-growth logging activists and RCMP continue.

The chamber says that ongoing protests in the Fairy Creek watershed area, roughly 15 kilometres away from the town, have visitors "questioning travelling not only to Avatar Grove but also to Port Renfrew itself due to safety concerns."

The chamber aired its concerns just days after a video was posted online showing RCMP officers deploying pepper spray on a group of protesters.

The activists claim that violent RCMP enforcement of a court-ordered injunction to remove blockades in the area is on the rise, while police say their actions are only proportionate to protester activity.

On Monday, RCMP said that pepper spray was used after an officer was pushed into a ditch and knocked unconscious, while activists contend the video is just one instance of police violence among many.

"The recent events combined with the long-term media attention created by the Fairy Creek encampment near Port Renfrew are creating negative effects to the Port Renfrew business community," said the chamber in a release Wednesday.

"While the overall protection of these magnificent and treasured old-growth forests are integral to the environment and our brand, the way in which this is being carried out is not conducive to the betterment of Port Renfrew," said the organization.

The chamber stresses that Port Renfrew itself is open and accessible to visitors.

The chamber adds that a visitor check-in point is set up about 2.5 kilometres from Avatar Grove so tourists can access the ecological site safely.

"Other than this one brief check-in, visitors can enjoy an amazing Avatar Grove 'old-growth experience' at their convenience," said the chamber.

As of Wednesday, nearly 800 people have been arrested at blockades in the region, some of whom have been arrested multiple times.

Earlier this summer, the province approved a request from three Vancouver Island First Nations to defer old-growth logging in sections of the Fairy Creek and central Walbran areas.

The deferral is in place for two years as the nations establish their own stewardship plans, but protesters remain, saying that the deferral is inadequate to protect the old-growth trees.