Vernon teen leads protest against Tolko Industries

A 16-year-old teen joined forces with the climate advocacy group he helped co-found, Earth Strike Vernon, to hold a protest on Monday outside of Tolko Industries' head office in Vernon.

Kieran Grandbois along with some group members protested, because they are concerned about the lumber company's proposition to log an area about 500 metres away from one of the North Okanagan city's water supply sources at Duteau Creek. 

"As over half of the water supply to the urban water utility comes in this watershed alone, it is a truly delicate region," said the North Okanagan teen. 

In a July report to the Regional District of North Okanagan, Zee Marcolin, the district's general manager of utilities, outlines a number of concerns about how vulnerable the creek is to potential harm from any nearby clearcutting. 

In the report, she states that "potential impacts from logging the proposed block range from 'minimal impacts to potentially catastrophic if a debris flow or landslide were to be triggered."

The creek supplies more than 60 per cent of the water that goes to Vernon and surrounding area customers.

In a statement, Tolko said: "We all depend on the Duteau Creek Watershed for our water supply. This is why Tolko has worked hard to develop a good relationship with the Duteau Creek Watershed Technical Advisory Committee and the Regional District." 

The area of concern is in the planning stages and must still go through more assessments.

"Tolko has a consultation process, and we welcome any of the members of [Monday's] protest to participate as planning continues."

Grandbois would "love the opportunity to speak to the company and raise our concerns," he told Daybreak South's David French.

Looking to the future

Although the teen is passionate about this issue, this isn't the first time he has attended an environmental protest.

"I just have a dedication to not only the environment right now, but to the future, and that's what we've been doing. We've been fighting, not only for our generation but for the future," said Grandbois.

Earth Strike Vernon is inspired by Swedish teenager and climate activist Greta Thunberg who has become famous for organizing school strikes in Sweden to bring attention to climate issues.

"One of the main reasons going on strike from school works for us as youth, is because us, being 16 or around the age of 16, we don't have a vote," said Grandbois.

"We don't have any other way of raising our voice and this is our way that we can truly show governments and corporations that we do have a voice. We have opinions and we're very steadfast in our beliefs especially concerning the environment."