CONVERGENCE AGAINST SUNPEAKS TO PROTECT UNCEDED TERRITORIES
At SUN PEAKS, SUNDAY AUG 29 @ 10 AM

Sun Peaks is built on Secwepemc land, which the Secwepemc refer to as Skwelkwek’welt, located in BC’s interior, 30 km NE of Kamloops. Secwepemc have never ceded, surrendered or released their land in any way. In 1997, the BC government approved a $70 million development plan, allowing Sun Peaks to continue to expand their resort to 20,000 beds and put ski runs on the previously undisturbed Mt. Morrisey. The Secwepemc attended stakeholder meetings and clearly said no to the development. Land and Water BC however, clearly disregarded their voices and granted new leases to Sun Peaks to facilitate their expansion, and in June 2001, Land and Water BC obtained a court injunction to forcibly remove Secwepemc from their lands. To date, 54 arrests with charges from criminal contempt and intimidation by blocking a road to resisting arrest have been made.

Sun Peaks Convergence Logistics
Updated August 22nd, 2004

For more information: noii-van@resist.ca or call 778-552-2099

REMINDER: without tickets, a space on the bus is not guaranteed. if you are carpooling, you MUST contact us to reserve a camping space and to provide numbers to those in the community arranging food for Saturday night and Sunday lunch. It is also important for us to have a sense of how many cars will be traveling to arrange for parking both on the reserve and around Sun Peaks and to have a general sense of how many people will be at the convergence. If carpooling, please call or email with when you are travelling (Saturday or Sunday) and how many folks there are. Thanks for your support.

SUN PEAKS CONVERGENCE UPDATE
1) Tickets for the convergence
2) Funding appeal
3) Transportation
4) Protest and guidelines for convergence
5) Accomodations
6) Media
7) Legal
9) First Aid
10) What to Bring
11) Driving Directions

==> TICKETS FOR THE CONVERGENCE:

Tickets are 5-30$ (no one turned away). This includes return travel on the bus. Accomodations are free of cost. We encouarge organizations sending delegates to keep in mind that the actual cost per person is 45$ per person. **** Space on a bus is not guaranteed without a ticket.

Tickets can be picked up at
1) Co-op Bookstore at 1391 Commercial Drive,
Phone: 604-253-6442. Speak with Ray (available Tuesday-Saturday)

2) Friendship Center
1640 East Hastings (near Commrercial Drive). Speak with Curtis (Youth Program) 604-251-4844

3) Union BC Indian Chiefs: 342 Water Street. Speak with Don Bain. 604-684-0231

4) You can call 778-552-2099 or email noii-van@resist.ca to arrange other pick-up.

==> FUNDING APPEAL: We are making yet another special funding appeal to help pay the costs of the convergence. In order to make travel as accesible as possible (tickets on the bus are 5-30$) we have been trying to fundraise over 3000$.

To all those that have donated, thank you for your generosity. We are still aiming for 20 more seat sponsporships (one sponspored seat is 40$), but also any amount you are able to donate ($5, $10, $20) is greatly appreciated and will go a long way in supporting this convergence.

If you can donate, please send a cheque to “Harjap Grewal” to the following address:
No One is Illegal, c/o Palestine Community Center, 1874 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5N 2S7

Please indicate “Sun Peaks Convergence” in the memo line of the cheque. Please also let us know if you’re sending money by calling at 778-552-2099 or email at noii-van@resist.ca. If you prefer to donate by cash, please let us know.

==> TRANSPORTATION: Neskonlith reserve is about a 5-6 hour drive from Vancouver, 15 minutes from Chase, 30 minutes from Kamloops, 50 minutes from Sun Peaks resort.
– Buses: Leave Vancouver at 10:30 am sharp Saturday August 28th, at the Safeway Parking lot, Commercial & Broadway (Broadway Skytrain). Return is Sunday August 29th to same place in the evening (latest arrival back in Vancouver will be 11 pm)
– Carpooling: If driving in a car, you MUST contact us to reserve space for camping and food. We also encourage you to meet us Saturday morning near the buses to share phone numbers, legal information, maps and directions etc, if not possible please contact us beforehand so we can provide that information.

==> PROTEST: We will be protesting at Sun Peaks on Sunday, August 29th at 10 am. It is about 50 minute drive from the reserve to the resort. For those driving in on Sunday morning, we encourage you to meet us at Neskonlith Community Center by 9 am or at Kamloops (gathering point TBC) at 9:30 am.

==> GUIDELINES FOR THE CONVERGENCE:
by Irene Billy (Elder of the Camp) and Janice Billy (Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center spokesperson) on behalf of all Skwelkwek’welt Defenders email: jrbilly@mail.ocis.net or nymcommunications@hotmail.com

Our community has been harrassed for many years now and we are under surveillance by the Major Crimes Unit. We defend our land and territories by whatever means we find necessary, which has resulted in intimidation and massive arrests. Many of us still have court restrictions on our own land and are not willing to go through the colonial criminal court system again and again. Thank for your support in defending Skwelkwek’welt and
Aborginal rights.

– No drugs or alcohol, no loud swearing during protest at tourists/bystanders (except police), no property destruction, no camoflauge or masks, only our people speak with media about our fight.

==> ACCOMODATIONS: We will be spending the night of Aug 28th, on the Neskonlith Reserve near Chase, BC about 1/2 hour from Kamloops

-Camping: There will be a large open space for tents near the community centre.
– Community Centre: For those without tents there will be space on the floor in the Neskonlith Community Centre
– Billeting: For those who are unable to camp or sleep on the floor, there is some billeting in the community. This is mainly for elders, those with disabilities and those with small children. * Please contact us to reserve a space for housing.

==> MEDIA: For all indpendent journalists, photographers, writers that will be covering the convergence at Sun Peaks from Aug 28-Aug 29: There will be a team of LFD organizers and legal team traveling early (Thursday or Friday) and if any journalists are hoping to leave early for interviews, please let us know and we can try to arrange housing and coordinate travel. If you are digitally recording, please let us know so we can also post
your reports (audio, video, text) on the website afterwards. There will be limited internet access for those planning on uploading updates during the convergence.

The press release for the convergence will be going up on the website shortly so feel free to forward it on to other media contacts.

==> LEGAL: The legal team that will be present during the convergence has compiled information for everyone to read beforehand. Also a reminder that the legal team will be doing a workshop on August 22, Sunday at 4 pm at the Palestine Community Center (1874 Kingsway corner Victoria Drive) and will also be doing workshop at the convergence on Saturday night, August 27th.

==> FOOD: We are still confirming food. There will be a salmon dinner by donation ($1-10 sliding scale) on Saturday night provided by the community. As well we expect there will be some breakfast on Sunday. Please bring snacks/lunch for the bus on Saturday and a packed lunch for Sunday.

==> FIRST AID: There will be a first aid team and a registered nurse.

==> WHAT TO BRING: food, sleeping bag/blankets/mats, tent, water bottles, sunscreen, noise makers, banners, your own utensils (dish, cup, fork)

==> DRIVING DIRECTIONS
1) To the Neskonlith Community Center on the Neskonlith Reserve: This is where we will be gathering on Saturday night August 28:
– Take TransCanada Hwy 1 East to Hope (approx. 150km)
– In Hope, switch to BC Hwy 5 going North (Coquihalla Highway) to Kamloops (you will pass through Merritt on the way – about 160km to Kamloops)
– Drive through Kamloops on the BC Hwy 5 and switch back to TC Hwy 1 East to Chase (approx. 30 minute drive)
– Just before entering Chase, there is an Esso gas station on the right with banners and placards for the Convergence. Turn right into the gas station. Drive through the parking lot, past the pumps and then turn right onto the dirt road. Two blocks up is the community center. You can ask for directions at the Esso station if necessary.

2) To the gathering point on Sunday August 29 for the protest. The protest begins at 10am but we are meeting at this point in Kamloops at 9:30am:

– Take TransCanada Hwy 1 East to Hope (approx. 150km)
– In Hope, switch to BC Hwy 5 going North (Coquihalla Highway) to Kamloops
(you will pass through Merritt on the way – about 160km to Kamloops)
– Continue on Hwy 5 heading North and take the exit for Jasper.
– Follow this road for 4km, to the Husky gas station on the right-hand side of the road. We will be meeting in the parking lot (which is really big).

3) Straight to Sun Peaks Resort if you arrive after 10 AM
1280 Alpine Road, Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada V0E 1Z1
http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/map.aspx

– Take TransCanada Hwy 1 East to Hope (approx. 150km)
– In Hope, switch to BC Hwy 5 going North (Coquihalla Highway) to Kamloops
(you will pass through Merritt on the way – about 160km to Kamloops)
– Continue on Highway 5 (Yellowhead Hwy.) north to Heffley Creek (approx.
20km). Look for a junction with the ‘Old Highway 5’
– Turn right onto Old Highway 5. Follow this to Tod Mountain Rd.
– Turn right onto Tod Mountain Rd. Follow Tod Mountain Rd.
– Turn right on Tod Mountain Rd and follow this all the way to Sun Peaks
Resort. This is approx. 35km – on the way it becomes an unnamed road, so
don’t panic – you’re going the right way.