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| Milestones in
Environmental Preservation 1990-2002
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Giant chainsaw at 1990 Queen's Park (Ontario legislature) demonstration. |
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Temagami Preservation << PREVIOUS 1901-1983 1984-1989 1990-2002 |
| 1990 | Willis Lake logging road blockaded. Three environmentalists arrested (February 19). |
| Three tree-sitters protest logging for two days at Queen's Park (April 9). | |
| 4-metre (12-foot) Temagami chainsaw mockup follows Premier Peterson for a week (April 17). | |
| Wm. Milne & Sons' Temagami sawmill purchased by Ontario and closed (April 23). No new timber licenses issued as Liberals prepare for September election by trying to deflate the Temagami issue. | |
| Robert Bateman and 45 artists at Art for Preservation camp at Obabika North (Aug.-Sept.). | |
| Bob Rae elected premier of Ontario (September 6). No timber-cutting rights or road permits granted by NDP government for next four years. | |
| 1991 | Art for Preservation on tour in Ontario and Quebec (Feb.27-Apr.28). |
| Earthroots succeeds Temagami Wilderness Society as the primary Temagami environment group (March). | |
| Art for Preservation auction in Toronto (April 30). | |
| Ontario announces Comprehensive Planning Council giving it authority to create a Temagami land-use plan, amounting to a suspension of the granting of new timber-cutting licenses (May). | |
| 1993 | White Bear Forest created southeast of the village of Temagami preserves virgin forest and its old growth stands. |
| 1994 | Environmental Assessment Board issues first comprehensive legally-binding rules on Ontario forestry operations after 4 years of hearings and 70,000 pages of transcripts. However, up to ten years moratorium is granted for implementation (Nov) |
| 1995 | Elk Lake Community Forest successfully lobbies Ontario to transfer area north of Lady Evelyn Lake out of Temagami CPC control and into another administrative district, thereby reducing public scrutiny (February). |
| Mike Harris elected premier of Ontario's new Progressive Conservative government and a significant weakening in environmental protection in Ontario follows (June 8). | |
| Court lifts land caution thereby giving the Ontario government the power to open area to mineral staking and mine development, and new Crown land sales and leases (November). | |
| Cross Lake road access, created illegally, now officially opened. | |
| 1996 | Temagami Comprehensive Plan (CPC) completed — aka Temagami Land Use Plan (TLUP), opening way for Ontario government to issue new timber-cutting licenses for first time since 1990 (June 28). Current plan Map |
| Protected conservation reserves announced: East Lady Evelyn (5,513 ha.), Sugar Lake (6,046), Bob Lake (2,153), Pinetorch Lake (2,961), Jim Edwards Lake (8,699), Temagami Island North (194), Indian Bay South (1,027), North Yorston (13,826), Smith Lake (1,607), (in June 28 CPC announcement). | |
| Obabika North old-growth pine (a portion of Wakimika Triangle) to be added to Obakika River Park (3,520 ha.) (in June 28 CPC announcement). | |
| A Temagami River bridge destroyed by explosion (August 26). No arrests made. | |
| 62 arrested at Owain Lake Road logging blockade, though not in the Temagami wilderness, it does contain old-growth forest (September-November). | |
| Ontario government opens non-protected areas to mineral staking and mine development, and new Crown land sales and leases for first time since 1972 (September 17). | |
| MNR's Temagami office closed, downsized (staff reduced from high of 65 to 11) and moved to North Bay. Part of massive provincial downsizing of the MNR by Harris government resulting in reduced enforcement of the law in the backcountry. North Ontario becomes vulnerable to destruction from illegal access, timber and wildlife poaching, and abuse and theft by timber companies. (September 27). | |
| UN's World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development visits Temagami (October 4). | |
| Lady Evelyn River bridge on Liskeard Lumber Road (in park) and Pencil Creek bridge (north of Pencil Lake) on Red Squirrel Road extension destroyed by arson (October 18). | |
| Obabika River and Wakimika River logging bridges removed without ever being used (October). | |
| 1997 | MNR pleads guilty in court to illegally permitting the 1996 construction of Cross Lake access (Sept) |
| 1998 | Ontario Divisional Court finds Ontario's logging plans in Temagami to be illegal in lawsuit brought by environment groups. Orders Temagami and Elk Lake plan re-done (February). |
| Lake Temagami skyline reserve opened to mineral staking (October 27). | |
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Logging bridge constructed across Montreal River at Mowat's Landing by Domtar and Liskeard Lumber. First logging begins north of Lady Evelyn Lake off new road (area removed from CPC in 1995 to avoid scrutiny) (October). |
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| 1999 | Most of Temagami is excluded from Lands for Life program (attempt to protect 12% of Ontario) as new provincial parks and reserves are announced across Ontario. Two Temagami waterway parks, which are not fully protected areas, are included: Timagami River (2,836) and Sturgeon River addition (4,653) (March 29). |
| Mike Harris re-elected as premier of Ontario, continuing policy of weak environmental protection (June 3). | |
| Earthroots requests environmental assessment on forestry plan. Minister of Environment declines, but orders logging moratorium on 4,000 hectares of clear-cuts (including block 30) that exceed the 1994 forest-management rule that limits size to 260 hectares (Nov). | |
| 2001 | MNR re-writes 1994 rule on clear-cuts and removes size limit. Lifts logging moratorium on 4,000 hectares in Temagami, including block 30 (Nov). |
| 2002 | Earthroots launches campaign to stop logging of blocks 30 and 46 between Obabika and Temagami lakes (Feb) |
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Temagami Preservation << PREVIOUS 1901-1983 1984-1989 1990-2002 |
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