In late November, Lake Cowichan RCMP announced that an old growth protest blockade had been raided, as police enforced court-ordered injunction.
Police attended the blockade on Tuesday, November 25th, to enforce the BC Supreme Court injunction order, which was granted in mid-September to Tsawak-qin Forestry Inc.
This injunction prohibits anyone from impeding the company from gaining access to the site on which they plan to resume logging operations.
The Cougar Camp blockade was reportedly composed of between 15 and 20 protesters at the time of the raid.
This camp is located in the upper Walbran Forest region of the Carmanah Valley, and has been blocking logging activities along a logging road there since August 28th.
In the RCMP’s latest update on enforcement in the area, one encampment has been dismantled and the roadway cleared of debris, including a massive cougar effigy.
This has allowed workers to resume logging operations in the region containing old growth groves.
However, RCMP are reporting that another encampment in a different location within the injunction area was immediately established and fortified by a group of individuals.
On Monday, December 8th, police attended this second camp at approximately 8:30 a.m.
Officers say they found that physical structures had been erected on the only bridge leading to a work site, blocking workers from accessing the area.
Police arrested four men for allegedly breaching the court-ordered injunction.
One of the four was an individual who was previously arrested in the area on November 25th, and released on conditions which he allegedly breached.
Additionally, RCMP say that another individual arrested will face a charge of allegedly resisting arrest.
All individuals arrested in connection with the Walbran Forest blockade and Camp Cougar are scheduled to make court appearances in January 2026.
Following the arrests, Police had the second encampment on the bridge and the roadway cleared for passage.
Since November 25th, the RCMP have made 11 arrests.
