MAILBOX
Why aren’t all

animals

Dear Mditor:

Thave been readiag with interest
all the recent media attention tia
crucity to animals has been geting
from the television, newspaper, and
even the SPCA newsletter, Adiaals,
! wonder why we put so much
emphasis on the animals we view as
“pets” and seem to forget those who
live in cruelty every day af their
lives — Canada’s animats raised for
food — cows, pigs. chickens and
sheep.

ht seems ironic that there is a
public outery when we see horses
left to starve in Surrey, a donkey
beaten to death in Bellevue, deer
killed at the Vancouver Game Farm
and a dog drowned in a duck pond
in West Vancouver,

But every ¢ cond of every day
countless food animals, who live in
tiny crates with no bedding, are
crammed into tight livestock trucks
and shipped for days with no food,
water or rest and suffer or die dur-
ing transport to the slaughterhouses.
What these animals live through is a
crime and every one of us must take
responsibility for it by our silence.

We are horrified when we hear
rumors of Chinese restaurants serv-
ing cats but yet we willfully eat
bacon when pigs are more intelli-
gent than dogs.

How hypocritical that pigs are
OK to eat and dogs or cats aren't.
Why are “pot-bellied” pigs so
trendy to own but “pink pigs” are
OK to have for breakfast?

I recently returned from a trip in
the interior of B.C, and often passeu

sacred?
. @
fivestoch trucks along the fryhway:
aad those stopped ct truckers’ rest
Stops. Did fo eser think those five:
stock trucks were aur conlitoned ar
heated’?

Pguess Enever stapped to drink
before. Pigs and cows are electric
prodded and crammed on top of
each other and either “fry” or
“freeze” to the steel edges of the
trucks depending on the weather,

On the days that | traveled it
was 94°F and these trucks were
parked in the blazing sun while
their drivers were resting at a (ruck
stop. Didn't the president of the
SPCA warn us all about leaving our
dogs in our cars on hot days?

Doesn't the SPCA care about
food animals? Canadian regulations
stute that animals cannot travel for
more than 48 hours without food or
water. Britain just cut their regula-
tions to cight hours. Top that off
with the fact that the animals are not
fed anything at Jeast a day before
shipping, and even the regulations
are admittedly not followed by
truckers.

So many animals die of heat
exhaustion during this ordeal that it
makes their lives before transport
look like Club Med.

In a time when many countries
are tightening up their regulations to
protect food animals, once again,
Canada lags behind. If we can't
become totally vegetarian, then let's
speak out and help those who can-
not help themselves.

Jane Johnson
North Vancouver

Collins ignores facts
in Stats Can report

Dear Editor:

The July 31 Doug Collins arti-
cle, “More Statscan propaganda”
charges that Statistics Canada “has
now become part of the Ottawa
propaganda machine.” These alle-
gations about the agency’s credibil-
ity and objectivity are totally
unfounded.

It would seem that Mr. Collins
may not have actually read the
reports to which he has made refer-
ence. Worse still, if he has, it would
appear that he has selectively cho-
sen to omit important findings from
his article.

For example, he said that one
report claimed that “immigrants are
beter educated” than persons born
in Canada. He went on to imply
that Statistics Canada has released
this report to support the govern-
ment’s position on immigration and
in so doing was producing propa-
ganda.

In fact. the report stated the fol-
lowing:

“In 1991, a higher proportion of
immigrants (14%) had university
degrees than the Canadian-born
(11%). At the same time, a larger
proportion of immigrants (19%)
than the Canadian-born (13%) also

reported less than Grade 9 educa-
tion.”

Having read the above statement
fam sure your readers would come
to somewhat different conclusions
than those reported by Mr. Collins.

With regard to the timing of the
release of the report, it was one of a
series of 11 publications that was
planned, announced and researched
long before the current debate on
immigration. Furthermore, the. fun-
damental data underlying the report
that dealt with immigration had
been released and reported in the
media in December 1992.

In this report, as in all of its data
reports and analytical studies,
Statistics Canada takes great care to
present balanced. comprehensive
and objective assessments. While
we endeavor to ensure that our
studies are relevant to current and
emerging issues, the study findings
are determined by impartial analy-
sis, and not ideology.

| would appreciate having these
clarifications brought to your read-
ers’ attention.

Gordon E. Priest, Director
Housing, Family and Social
Statistics Division,

Statistics Canada

Good neighbors contain fire

Dear Editor:

A fire recently caused by a
spark from a blow torch ignited
the shrubbery in my property.

In seconds the flames con-
sumed the entire width of my

property's shrubs.

Fortunately, my good neighbor.
a fireman, saw what was happen-
ing and together with the folks
who stopped their cars to help,

they were able to keep the fire
contained with all the available
hoses before the fire trucks
arrived.

The efforts of all who hetped
save my home and the block of
homes from total destruction, my
thanks to all who heiped. [am sin-
cerely grateful.

Irene Hicks
North Vancouver

CORRADD »PASSAF.

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