Wilderness group raising funds with help of artists MORE THAN 10 years ago, ac- tivist Paul George noticed that the U.S.-based Sierra Club was hav- ing tremendous success selling its calendars in Canada. lt occurred to him that Cana- dians should have their own cal- endar, so he banded together with a group of like-minded people and produced the Western Canada Endangered Wilderness Calendar. That calendar became the fund- ing tooi for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, the en- vironmental non-profit organiza- By Evelyn Jacob News Reporter Achievement Award for its ef- forts. None of this, however, has been without growing pains. Last December, the wilderness committee hit bottom with a $700,000 deficit. National Campaign Coordinator Joe Foy says a combination of events contributed to the debt. For one, the committee has always 64 They get their inspiration from the wilderness and feel thai if the wilderness disappears, so does their inspiration and livelihood. 99 tion known to many as simply “WC2,”? As the committee’s mandate grew, it needed more funds at its disposal, so it began producing an array of products for fundraising purposes, like the popular educa- tional-art book, Carmanah: Ar- tistic Visions of an Ancient Rain- forest. ft became involved in research and public education, and by 1987 _the organization had branches from Vancouver Island to Ottawa. This year, the wilderness commit- tee won the federal government’s Canadian Environmental ~—Action coordinator Jennifer Chopin responded to environmental crises ‘first and worried about pulling in funds later. **We use our debt like an elastic band. When something needs to be done we do it,”’ says Foy. Then there is the large inventory of products sitting idle on wilderness committee shelves. The Carmanah book sold well, but Clayoquot, a hard-covered picture book focusing on wilderness areas of the west coast of Vancouver Island, hasn't. “That book and a number of other products,” says Foy. ‘It’s a lesson we've learned about the business we're in — not every book sells as well or as rapidly."’ However, Foy says the deficit has been ‘‘on a steady downward trend” since the beginning of this year. It now stands in the $300,000 range, and Foy is hoping it will be just about wiped out by Christmas. It's not for want of public donations -—- 1991 contributions totalled $1.08 million, up from $827,000 the previous year. Or not for lack of trying on the part of the local art community. A grow- ing number of artists are adding their names to the list of Western Canada Wilderness Committee supporters. For example, this Saturday evening (Nov. 16) the committee is holding a gala art auction, at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre with original painting, sculpture and photography do- nated by 15 B.C. artists, including Toni Onley, Robert Bateman, Cari Chaplin and Arnold Shives. The doors open at 6 p.m. “They’re all really concerned (about ihe environment),’’ says auction coordinator Jennifer Chapin. *‘They get their inspira- tion from the wilderness and feel that if the wilderness disappears, so dees their inspire fon and live- lihood.”” North Vancouver’s Drew Burn- ham and Ross Munro have each contributed one painting to the event. For Munro, the son of an environmental consultant who spent his childhood summers sur- rounded by wilderness, it’s a chance to become actively involv- ed in an important cause. “It’s nice to do something to help them (wilderness committee) out. I never really had enough Wednesday, November 13, 199% ~ North Shore News - #4 NEWS photo Paul McGrath | NORTH VANCOUVER artist Ross Munro has contributed a paint- ing to the Western Canada Wilderness Committee auction. time to volunteer, but this is something I can do that’s wor- thwhile,”” says the 43-year-old Deep Cove painter. Munro says it’s important for people to support what the com- mittee is doing even when there are no headline-grabbing en- vironment crises. ““People seem to respond a lot better to a crisis than ongoing sit- uations,”’ says Munro. ‘It’s un- fortunate, because you need that continuing public input or else people do whatever's expedient.’ In addition to art, there will be speakers — Monte Hummel, president of the World Wildlife Fund of Canada, Norma Cassi of the Yukon legislative assembly, Adriane Carr and George — and performances by Raffi, Karen Jamieson Dance and the Afro- Brazilian percussion: band, Batucada. Proceeds raised wiii g0 directly | to fund the committee’s national and international campaigns. To earn this kind of trust... General practitioners spend up to four years in under- graduate university, then four years in medical school and now two years in post-graduate study. Were the best-equipped to provide a full range of health care services—from a simple remedy for an earache to the latest high- tech care. Or even afew words of sound advice. And, if needed, we'll direct you to the right specialist. ‘Trust your family doctor for all your health care needs. We're with you from day one. GRITISH COLUMBIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION The doctors of B.C.