ACTION in Kingston!
Another Home Depot thrown into confusion by Ancient Forest Activists!
6pm E.S.T. 26 May 1999
Kingston's Home Depot was hit today by 9 environmentalists and First Nation supporters and two undercover agents.
The event began with a Dead Rainforest tour started in the lumber section with the cedar shakes and shingles, and moved on to the doors. Despite the presence of many staff members, no official interest was shown in the activists or their presentation. The staff admitted later they were "not allowed to accept information from Forest Action Network".
Local activist and tour guide Bob MacInnes was offering discounted, rock bottom prices on the cedar and mahogany doors. "They're going fast, and when they're gone there won't ever be any more! So get your piece of the destruction today!"
The Home Depot made no attempt to stop the tour, so it split in two and was able to cover twice the distance it may have otherwise. Both tours were playing fast and loose with PRODUCT WARNING labels. The two groups converged in the 'valley of death', the aisle of huge cedar beams and lumber. Customers were asked to sign pledge cards. The pledge cards told Home Depot they will no longer be able to be customers if the Home Depot does not terminate its contracts with old-growth logging companies within 6 months.
Concerned that the staff weren't accepting the offered information, one Kingston environmentalist went off in search of a manager. He was given a letter, and had the event explained to him before saying, "What do you mean? You can't do that here!." He marched right up to his very own in-store valley of death to find activists climbing up the scaffolding affixing stickers on timbers, hiding stickers between cedar shingles, and sharing information with customers.
During the Dead Rainforest Tour two local sympathetic contractors were in the store, having just come from a job, in their coveralls, boots and hard hats. These two kept their distance from anyone attending the tour or distributing information but spoke with as many employees and managers as they could about the ancient forest products being sold.
It took some time for the staff to coral the protesters out of the store, and by that time a pair outside had placed pledges and brochures under most windshield wipers in the parking lot. Activists then spoke with police, went back to the van, grabbed placards and spent another half an hour in the store's driveway entrance distributing information. Passing cars were visibly slowing to read the placards and occasionally honking in support.
There has already been talk among Kingston activsts about returning to the store to finish off the stickers and convert more customers.
The Kingston Contingent of the Forest Action Network would like to extend their support to, and solidarity with the Nuxalk people, and the other First Nations of B.C.. The Home Depot must commit to stop selling ancient forest products and the logging industry as a whole must immediately stop logging unceded native land across the country.
* Ask Home Depot staff for sustainably harvested, independently certified forest products.
* Check with your city planning department to see if Home Depot is applying for a permit to build another mega-store in your town.
* Check your mutual fund to see if you are unknowingly investing in Home Depot.
* Organize a protest at your local Home Depot (Contact Mission Control for more Information, advice and action resources).
The Home Depot in the Kingston area is:
Kingston
606 Gardiners Rd
Kingston, K7M 3X9
(613) 384-3511
Also see Ottawa listing.
For More Information Contact Mission Control:
Forest Action Network
Box 625, Bella Coola, BC, V0T 1C0, Canada
Tel: (250) 799-5800 Fax: (250) 799-5830
Email: fanbc@fanweb.org