Old-growth logging protester suffers 'life-changing' injury on Vancouver Island

Conservation group Save Old Growth says one of its members remains in hospital Tuesday after protesters blocked a portion of the Patricia Bay Highway in North Saanich, B.C., on Monday

Conservation group Save Old Growth says one of its members remains in hospital Tuesday after protesters blocked a portion of the Patricia Bay Highway in North Saanich, B.C., on Monday

The northbound lanes of the highway were blocked for an hour before RCMP were able to clear part of the blockade and open one lane to traffic.

Traffic delays continued on the highway for several more hours, during which time a protester who was sitting on a ladder at the site fell and was injured.

On Tuesday, Save Old Growth said that one of its members, Trevor 'Red' Mckelvie, fell from a height of about 20 feet after an angry commuter removed one of the ladder's supports.

An online fundraiser was set up to support Mckelvie's recovery. The GoFundMe campaign says the man shattered his pelvis and that he requires a "high-risk" surgery, six months to a year to recover, and that he faces potential life-long health complications.

"This is a devastating and life-changing injury," said Save Old Growth organizer Sophia Papp in a statement. "We do not want to risk our lives by inconveniencing people, but this is what it’s come to."

"Business as usual has placed us on a globally terminal trajectory, and it’s up to our government, the largest legislative force, to act in the best interest of people’s future; this includes protecting old-growth forests," she said.

An old-growth logging protest is pictured on the Pat Bay Highway on June 13, 2022. (CTV News)