Grant Hadwin

Thomas Grant Hadwin (1948 – February 1997?) was a Canadian forest engineer. In January 1997, he cut down the Golden Spruce, a landmark tree in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, as a protest against the logging industry. While facing criminal charges, he disappeared en route to his trial.

Hadwin was born in West Vancouver, British Columbia. His family was active in the logging industry. Hadwin himself became a logger and later became a logging engineer. However, he became increasingly upset with the logging industry's methods and exhibited signs of mental instability. [ John Vaillant, "The Golden Spruce," Norton, 2005; pp. 105-108] In January 1997, Hadwin went to the Queen Charlotte Islands and purchased a chainsaw. Early on the morning of January 20, 1997, Hadwin made a series of deep cuts in the Golden Spruce. The tree fell two days later.

After cutting down the tree, Hadwin left the islands. He sent a fax to the media and the Haida nation claiming responsibility for the act, saying that he was motivated by "rage and hatred towards university trained professionals and their extremist supporters...." [Vaillant, p. 135] The act outraged people throughout Canada and received extensive media coverage. Hadwin was arrested, ordered to return to the islands to stand trial, and released on bail.

Disappearance

Hadwin's court appearance was scheduled for February 18, 1997, in Masset, British Columbia. Numerous people speculated that Hadwin would be killed before he could stand trial. [Vaillant, p. 163] Hadwin said that he feared for his safety if he were to travel by ferry or plane; he decided to make the trip across Hecate Strait by kayak. On February 11, Hadwin set out from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, but turned back a day later after being caught in a storm. On February 13, Hadwin set out again. The next day, he was spotted convert|25|mi|km north of Prince Rupert, but he failed to appear in court as scheduled. There have been no confirmed sightings of Hadwin since then.

In June 1997, Hadwin's empty kayak and most of his gear were found on an uninhabited island convert|70|mi|km northwest of Prince Rupert. Because Hadwin was known to be an expert in wilderness survival, [Vaillant, p. 209] many believe that he faked his own death and vanished into the wilderness. [Vaillant, p. 209] However, because the winter weather was rough and Hadwin had made many enemies, he may have drowned or been murdered. Hadwin's ultimate fate is unknown.

References

External links

* [http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676976458&view=printqa Interview with author John Vaillant]