8 - North Shere News - Friday, September 29, 2000 —~----—-= MAIL Box nse Co Car ¢ Dear Editor: Re: North Shore bears 1 note that some of our Jocal “bear huggers” have begun to get personal in their attacks on the various agencies and officials tasked to deal with the wayward bruins that we all accept: as part of the North Shore lifestyle. Though 1 am neither a conservation officer nor a police constable, I feel obligated to defend their actions against unreasonable attacks. This letter is a response to those attacks and constitutes a hearty vote of confidence in our professional public ser- vants. Note: This includes both the conservation officers as well as members of the two North Shore police services. In particular To rake exception to Evelyn Kirkaldy’s attacks on conservation officer Rick Hahn. By Kirkaldy’s figures, even she admits that so far there have been 75% fewer bears shot on the -North Shore than fast year. (Coquitlam not being part of the North Shore). Despite this enormous improvement she seems incapable of giving kudos where they are due. Further, she engages in some incredible nit-pickiug with regards to opinions on “bear behaviour.” Kirkaldy opines that bears engaged in “paw smacking” are simply nervous. I suggest that she further her education before making such assump- ° tions. Consult any professional who ventures into the wilds, such as timber cruisers, loggers, zeolo- gists, wildlife behavi iourists, prospectors, and biolo- “gists, to name but a few, and I would suggest that ‘Community challenged I respi the vast majority of them that have been unlucky enough to have seen such behaviour live and in per- son, will tell vou that it is an unmistakable declara- tion by said bear to “leave me atone right now, or ele.” Unfortunately, the “or else.” too) often results in death or injury te the “declares.” (Which explains why even dedicated bear researchers carry atleast one shotgun in their party, when they are in the tield.) Conservation officers are graduates of wildlife Management courses from several different. col- leges, and many hold advanced degrees. They are guided by biologists from various universities as well as from the ministry. In short, they are the experts. They become conservation officer's because they are dedicated to the protection of wildlife. They do not look forward to the killing of any animal, be it a bear or a raccoon. However as professionals, they are regretfully aware that in cer- tain situations, it may become necessary in’ the interests of public safety. I am contident that this Saal decision is never taken lightly and is used only in exceptional circumstances. Pm not privy to Kirkaldy’s educational resume, but from her letters it seems to have encompassed Creative Writing #101, as well as Sensational Tabloid Composition. * Indeed if her most recent rant is indicative of what we can expect from her future efforts, she can look forward to being about as credible as city council- lor Bill Bell. Finally (I'm sure you are happy to read) a sug- gestion for all those who have written in about how ’ rect your children have been “scarred” by witnessing the so called “slaughter” of problem bears. The next time a bear is perambulating through your neighborhood, rather than pursuing the bear and the officials who are attempting to deal with it, simply turn around and go home. Explain to your children that the more “looky foos” hanging around disrupting the various officers, not to men- tion upsetting the bear, the more likely that the bear will have ta be shot. Not as Kirkaldy puts it, “blasted out of a tree. ~ Hopefully this will prevent them from obtaining a real “sear” as a result of an all-to-close encounter. Kirkaldy et ai, would do well to remember that bears can and do present a potentially lethal threat to humans, as evidenced by the hundreds of attacks on humans in our national and provincial parks as well as our suburban forests every year. That is why police constables carry shotguns, not “enormous rifles” (where does she get her info?) when dealing with these denizens of our forests. Anyone wishing to help mitigate the impact of urbanization on eur bears would do well to fully comply with already suggested measures of garbage security. Stop picking on the professional, dedicat- ed, overworked and = undertunded conservation statf. Instead send them your kudos on a job exceedingly well done under some of the most try- ing of circumstances. Send your brickbats to Victoria where they rightfully beleng. R. Whiting North Vancouver th move Caan cc ncaa ammmrmmr na EE RN Volcano fest needs support Dear Editor: Re: security. bonds for Under the Volcano festival. Lam writing in response to the proposal of district council” to impose security bonds en community festivals held on cr in district parks and facili- ties. f feel very strongly that this will have a chilling effect on groups with a small opera- tion budget who, already underfunded, will be further taxed to make this deposit, before any event can take. place. Is this the support for community arts that district council has in mind? Once again the overzeal- ous RCMP is using Under the Voleano as a political football ta squeeze more monies out of the district. I was at Under the Volcano and at no time would I describe it as “out of control,” as the police put it. I found the inability of the RCMP tw communicate with UTV volunteers telling of the heavy-handed approach. to community policing here on. the North Shore, Surely we = can do better than this?” Shitty heat _ to back Harvest Project Dear Editor:. - Challenging churches and service clubs of the North Shore: The Harvest Project is well known on the North Shore of ~ Vancouver. This most worthwhile of causes has received support ‘~~. from the St. Andrew’s and St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church for quite some time. This more routine type of support will contin- a ee “Recently w we becamte aware of the plight that the project finds itself in at the moment: It must relocate (by Oct. 31, 2000) due “to developments in the Lonsdale area. That is less than six weeks - away. To be able to’ do this, $500,000 is needed. ~ “In‘response to this specific need, our church has launched a fund-raising campaign to raise $5, 000 by Oct. 31 and another $5,000 by Christmas (for.a total of $10. 000). A huge barome- . ter. will be put‘up outside the church to monitor progress. .- We want to challenge all the churches, service clubs and any- one who is in a position to help, to do better than us. We are a small ‘congregation of only some 300 people. If we can do $10,000, think what we all on the North Shore can do collee- “tively to give the North Shore Harvest a “hand up” just as they “have done for so many. - o . ’ Pastor Gordon Kouwenberg St: Andrew’s and St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church: North Van Maver. “plementary Dear Editor: The real truth of the sup- health budget debated on Sunday, Sept. 17: The government is. not putting $290 “new” dollars into the system. The 1999 deficit last year for the 52 health regions was $79 million; the projected shortfall for the ‘year (2000) is $180 million. At the pre- sent time the health regions have not been funded for over six months but are still expected to maintain the same. services’ as last. year, even though costs due to population increases, seniors, etc., have: risen. They are now in a deficit position and to do so must get govern- ment permission, which they id. : IME ww.teamapex.net million of So last Sunday the gov- ernment announced a sup- plementary budget af $296 million, broken down as fol- lows: $180 million to the 52 health regions, $70 million for hospital equipment (which is badly needed) and $40 million for the doctors in cural B.C. A good deal of this money will come from the new-found federal money, which amounted to $133 million for this year. What happened to the 1999 deticit ($79 million)? I don’t know, nor could the government tell us. This all took place recently at a cost of thousands of tax payers’ dollars by a misleading gov- ernment saying the extra funding will go to acute and continuing care, when it was really only to offset operat- ing deficits. { doubt this will significantly improve patient care. Daniel Jarvis, MLA North Vancouver-Seymour Let’s not punish the com- munity of the North Shore by throwing up bureaucratic bar- ricades in. front of the most - vibrant and inclusive festival we have to offer. J. Galpin jgalpin@bestop.be.ca {CBC HAS A TEAM OF LAWYERS, SHOULDN'T YOU? * All claims have time limits [ * Documents you sign can |; be used against you. Taylor & Blain BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS" 102-145 West 15th St. North Van 983-4311 Graham Taylor 3 www.taylorandbiair.com _ FREE CONSULTATION: Kevin Blair New StarTac 7868 Tri-Mode digital phone NOW ip itor new3 year activation® ; . COMMUNICATIONS ° ANYWHERE NORTH VANCOUVER. a #2 - 987 Marine Drive * 988-3300 isp available on a 12 month or 24 mont option. 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