Heartwood explores coastal communities Standing Up To Big Timber And Fighting For A new forest paradigm in british columbia.
On the west coast of British Columbia, on the remote island of Cortes, First Nations and settler communities are uniting to take back control of their local forestlands and demonstrate to the world how they feel forestry ought to be done.
Through the lens of Cortes Island, a broader story is revealed about a growing consensus between First Nations, environmentalists, municipalities, business leaders, tourism operators and forestry workers, who are all beginning to awaken to one simple fact: that the way forestry is done in B.C. is not working for the vast majority of its citizens – environmentally or economically.
With no less than the world's last remaining pockets of ancient temperate rainforest at stake, as well as the livelihoods of thousands of forestry workers, this province stands at a crossroads. Either we shift away from the wholesale liquidation and export of our forests and step into a new paradigm of stewardship and value – or we risk losing the last of our ancient forests, not to mention an industry that supports tens of thousands of workers in rural communities across British Columbia.