February 17, 1992


                      ONTARIO MINISTRY DUMPS DAISHOWA

Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) met today with Marilyn Churley, Minister
of Consumer and Commercial Relations, asking the ministry to support the
national boycott of Daishowa paper products.  The ministry has decided to
stop using Daishowa paper products.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is the only ministry agency known to be
a Daishowa user.  The LCBO spokesperson at the meeting, Rowland Dunning,
announced that the LCBO will not renew its contract for the Daishowa bag. 
The replacement for the Daishowa 4 bottle string handled bag will be a
cloth bag which liquor store patrons may purchase for $1.  The new cloth
bag was chosen for its obvious environment benefits.  Dunning said that
pressure on the part of the Friends of the Lubicon helped to fast track the
change through the LCBO.

Marilyn Churley said in the meeting that to her knowledge no other ministry
agency was using Daishowa products.  Although her ministry will no longer
be using Daishowa, Ms. Churley added that she could not issue a statement
in support of the boycott as the issue of a boycott was a policy matter. 
Policy matters are handled by the caucus.

Friends of the Lubicon spokesperson Stephen Kenda feels that regardless of
what the ministry says, it's clearly the Daishowa boycott and the sustained
pressure of the Lubicon supporters that has pushed the LCBO to dump
Daishowa.  Kenda added "We are pleased that the LCBO is showing the ethical
sense to let its Daishowa contract lapse; it's hard to believe that anyone
would want to support the clearcutting of the Lubicon Indian homelands."

The LCBO joins Mr. C's Donuts, Cultures Fresh Foods, Ho-Lee Chow, the Body
Shop, NOW Magazine and others who have made the switch away from Daishowa. 
The LCBO move leaves Pizza Pizza further isolated in its pact with
Daishowa.  Country Style Donuts, another Daishowa user, is said to be on
the verge of joining the boycott and will make its decision soon.

Daishowa is a Japanese transnational paper giant.  An international boycott
of Daishowa is attempting to stop Daishowa's plans to clearcut unceded
Lubicon Lake Indian lands in northern Alberta.

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For more info:  Stephen Kenda 416-763-7490 (9:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.)
                After 2:00 P.M. call 416-783-4694 or 416-972-6293