New Paradigm about wildlife in B.C.
New paradigm about wildlife in British Columbia needs to be communicated
The influence of the “Green Peace and Love Era” was more predominant on the West Coast than in eastern Canada. “In 1967 it was the Summer of Love, which blossomed in Vancouver more than anywhere else in the world beside San Francisco. Young and old have all heard about Kitsilano’s hippie heyday. Vancouver and especially West 4th Avenue was indeed the hippie capital of Canada. The movement rocked this formally conservative logging town to its roots and changed our City and Province forever.” Former Mayor Tom Campbell at the time waged war with the hippies and one of Vancouver's Narcotics Officers Sgt. Abe Snidanko became famous busting hippies.
Vancouver had much more in common with the West Coast of the USA than with Toronto or Montreal at that time. California was a huge influence on British Columbia with the influx of their own hippies and Vietnam draft dodgers coming to live in British Columbia. By the 1970’s the hippies left and moved to the country, the Sunshine Coast, the Kootenay's and the Gulf Islands where the majority became animal lovers and tree huggers with an idyllic view of wildlife and where they disconnected from the food chain. I lived in Vancouver in 1972 when I was 22 and two years later I moved to the Kootenay's so I can attest to this movement.
Since the 1970’s, the population and biologists in British Columbia have been indoctrinated, manipulated and propagandized by the “animal lovers” and their offsprings from that erra who only see the good side of the predators that affect our wildlife. Even though, none of the predators in British Columbia have ever been endangered or threatened, the Ministries without evaluating the impacts of those predators on the defenceless and vulnerable ungulates closed hunting.
At the same time while the biologists from British Columbia were attempting to close predator hunting, the biologists from the State of Main in the USA were fighting to keep it open. The State of Maine is 91,646 sq. km with a population of 1.331 million in 2016 where British Columbia is 944,735 sq. km with a population of 4.631 million in 2014. If you read Maine's studies, their objective is to reduce their black bear population by approximately 3500 - 4000 bears annually to maintain a healthy and viable fawn population by reducing mortality. One of their main mandates is to create information and educational programs that target specific audiences and promote hunting as valid and preferred tool to manage bear populations. Something the wildlife managers in British Columbia have never undertaken in regards to our wildlife species.
The citizens from all corners of British Columbia have the right to eat wild game especially the ungulates who’s meat is lean, high in protein and much better for our health than commercially raised beef. If predator hunting in British Columbia is stopped or reduced without proper wildlife studies of the same degree that other jurisdictions have undertaken. The predator numbers will increase and since they do not have any natural predators themselves they will decimate our wildlife population that so many count on as sustenance to feed their families.
Each and every one of us are guilty of thinking it is okay to purchase our meat from a supermarket but not okay for those of us that prefer to get their meat from our natural wildlife.
As a society, we need to develop a unbiased educational program similar to other jurisdictions to show the reality about the values of wildlife and their predators.
We need to leave Walt Disney out of this equation and look at the real truths and facts. This program should start at the kindergarten level and reach to adults of all ages so everyone can made a informed decision and not one without informed knowledge.
Norm Blaney
Kelowna BC
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