Grant Hadwin

Grant Hadwin
Hadwin shortly before his disappearance
Born	Thomas Grant Hadwin October 25, 1949 West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Disappeared	February 14, 1997 (aged 47) Near Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Status	Missing, presumed dead
Occupation	Forest engineer
Known for	Cutting down Kiidk'yaas (the Golden Spruce)

Thomas Grant Hadwin (born October 25, 1949) was a Canadian forest engineer. He gained notoriety for the January 1997 felling of Kiidk'yaas (also known as "the Golden Spruce"), a Sitka Spruce tree located on the Haida Gwaii archipelago and considered sacred by the Haida people. Hadwin stated that he cut the tree down as a protest against the logging industry. While facing criminal charges for the act he disappeared en route to his trial. His fate remains unknown.

Hadwin is the subject of John Vaillant's 2004 book The Golden Spruce and Sasha Snow's 2015 documentary film Hadwin's Judgement. The film includes dramatic reenactments in which Hadwin is portrayed by actor Doug Chapman.

Hadwin was born in West Vancouver, British Columbia. His family was active in the logging industry. Hadwin himself became a logger and later a forest engineer. However, he became increasingly upset with the logging industry's methods and impacts, and exhibited signs of mental instability.

In January 1997 Hadwin traveled to Haida Gwaii and purchased a chainsaw and other felling equipment. Early on the morning of January 20, 1997 he swam across the freezing Yakoun River (with all of his equipment, in the middle of the night, in mid-winter) and made a series of strategic deep cuts in Kiidk'yaas (the Golden Spruce). The cuts were designed to leave Kiidk'yaas standing but weakened, so that it would be knocked over by the next strong winds. The tree fell two days later.