In 2001, two Tofino residents spent 28 days in an 800-year-old cedar marked for removal; a steel brace eventually helped save the landmark tree

On Vancouver Island's west coast, a western red cedar known as the Eik Cedar became the focus of a protest in Tofino in 2001. The tree had been declared a danger because it was considered a potential hazard to nearby development. The Tofino Arts Council records that the cedar was already estimated to be about 700 years old when Norwegian settler John Eik claimed the property in 1896. Applying that historical estimate to 2026 would make the tree roughly 830 years old, although its age remains approximate.Weeks in the branchesTwo protesters climbed about 24 metres into the cedar's canopy and remained there for 28 days to prevent its removal. This duration is recorded in a local history of Tofino, which also describes the protest's national media attention. On May 14, 2001, Tofino council voted to defer the tree's removal for up to 45 days while the developer prepared a proposal for a support structure. The resolution required the design to be prepared and certified by a structural engineer. It also required the protesters to leave the tree and end their demonstrations before the arrangement could proceed.The council’s written resolution also set out how the arrangement would be maintained after construction. It required financial security equal to 120 per cent of the structural engineer’s estimated cost of the support system. The developer or a community group had to provide this security so the District could pay for maintenance and, if necessary, replacement. This mattered because the brace was not treated as a one time repair. Its future upkeep had to be backed by a funding arrangement rather than left to chance. Municipal staff were instructed to report on the developer’s progress at every council meeting. If the rezoning application did not advance with reasonable diligence, councillors retained the option of reconsidering the tree’s removal. The resolution also made clear that the protesters had to leave the site before the municipality acted on the proposed arrangement. Everyone had to leave the tree and remove their equipment and signs from municipal property, and demonstrations had to stop. These conditions show how the dispute moved from a direct protest into a formal municipal process. Keeping the cedar meant balancing public access, development plans, safety concerns and a funding arrangement for the structure’s future upkeep.A brace built to lastResidents formed the Tofino Natural Heritage Society to organise the campaign to save the cedar. The society hired a structural engineer to develop a support system that would address the safety concerns surrounding the tree. In summer 2002, engineers fitted the trunk with a specially designed metal girdle anchored into the bedrock. The structure allowed the cedar to remain standing while reducing the risk that had led to its proposed removal. A local history of Tofino documents the installation and describes the support system as a key part of the tree's preservation. The Eik Cedar protest became an example of direct action in tree protection. The protesters' occupation delayed the proposed removal, but the tree's long-term preservation required a local heritage society and a specially engineered support structure. More than two decades after its installation, the steel girdle remains part of the story of how the community helped save the cedar.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.