Two more arrests made as protesters block Highway 1 in Revelstoke

Protesters have once again blocked Highway 1 in Revelstoke as part of a province-wide campaign by Save Old Growth to end old growth logging.

At 9 a.m. this morning (April 9) approximately seven protesters blocked Highway 1 at the Columbia River Bridge and held signs blocking traffic for 10 minutes.

RCMP standing over the blockade on the Columbia River Bridge in Revelstoke on April 9. (Josh Piercey/Revelstoke Review)

RCMP arrested two individuals involved in the protest at approximately 9:10 a.m.

This protest comes just days after the last time Save Old Growth blocked Highway 1 in Revelstoke. On April 6, protesters blocked Highway 1 at the Columbia River Bridge for approximately 40 minutes.

Following their protest on April 6, Old Growth Revolution, a local organization formed to protect the old growth forests, sent a letter to the City of Revelstoke, Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation (RCFC) and the Revelstoke community.

A Save Old Growth protester being arrested by RCMP on April 9. (Josh Piercey/Revelstoke Review)

In the letter they asked that the city implement an immediate moratorium on all old growth logging, cease any logging in high priority deferral areas, encourage RCFC to take advantage of available compensation from the provincial government to help retrain and retool the forestry sector, and mandate that RCFC become part of the climate crisis solution.

In an email to the Revelstoke Review, Mike Copperthwaite, General Manager of RCFC, said the corporation is open to working with Ministry of Forests, First Nations and the community to develop a long term plan that meets the complex demands on the land-base but was not yet prepared to directly answer the letter from Old Growth Revylution.