Why was B.C.’s ‘incredible’ giant cedar felled despite old-growth protections?
Why was 'incredible' giant cedar cut down, despite B.C.'s old-growth protection law?
Joshua Wright says a yellow cedar tree he photographed last year was 'incredible', the largest he'd ever seen in a decade of hiking around Vancouver Island.
A massive yellow cedar tree, measuring nearly three metres in diameter, was felled near Gold River on Vancouver Island earlier this year. The tree met provincial old-growth protection standards, yet no records show who approved its removal. Conservationists and ecologists have raised concerns over the ongoing loss of old-growth forests in the region.
The tree stood in a remote valley south of Gold River, one of the last intact old-growth areas on Vancouver Island. Provincial maps indicate the site overlaps with a category of ancient forest containing some of the largest remaining trees. Despite its size—2.79 metres in diameter—it was marked with spray paint before being cut down as part of a logging operation.
The Forests Ministry has not identified who authorised the tree’s removal. With investigations ongoing, questions remain about enforcement of old-growth forest protection rules. The case highlights broader tensions between logging, conservation efforts, and the financial pressures facing Indigenous communities.
