Socialunrest,politicalactivism,worryabouthumanimpactonthisearth--soundfamiliar?In1969,BritishColumbianswerefacingconcernsthatarestillmakingheadlinestoday.Attheendofadecadeofchangingtechnologicalandpoliticallandscapesassociatedwithdraftdodgers,hippieflowerpowerandtheriseofthecounterculture,agroupofserious-mindedcitizenscreatedSierraClubBCtoprotectandpreservewildplacesintheprovince.Fromthatmoment,SierraClubBCplayedanimportantroleinmanyoftheenvironmentalissuesintheprovince,fromtheprotectionoftheNitinatTriangleandtheWestCoastTrailin1972;tothe1993WarintheWoods,thelargestactofcivildisobedienceinCanadianhistory;toatwenty-yearcampaignthatculminatedinprotectionoftheGreatBearRainforest;totheongoingoppositiontotheSiteCDamandtheTransMountainpipeline.Infiftyyears,theclubhashelpedtoconvincegovernmentsonbothsidesofthepoliticalspectrumtoprotect15percentofBC’slandbaseandjustover3percentofBC’smarineareasfromdevelopment.Stillactivetoday,SierraClubBChasthousandsofmembers,volunteersandsupporters,allworkingtoprotecttheprovince’swildareasandconfrontclimatechange.DianePinch’snon-fictionhomagetoSierraClubBCprovidesanoverviewofthelastingimpactthegrouphashad,notonlyinBC,butinallofCanada.Repletewithfirst-handaccounts,mapsandphotos,thebookisaheartfeltin-depthlookatenvironmentalisminWesternCanadathroughtheyears,fromtheperspectiveofoneofthemostinfluentialgroupsinoperation.SierraClubBC’sphilosophyof“passionandpersistence“andcommitmenttoscience-basedevidenceandpeacefulactivismhavegiventheclubitsincrediblestayingpower.
