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magazine / ja04
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July/August 2004 issue |
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REVERBERATIONS
Children before cougars
I
read with growing uneasiness, the article "Cougar attack!" (CG
May/June 2004) and was more than greatly annoyed when Stuart Kenn,
president of the Ontario Puma Foundation, used the phrase "rehabilitation
of the puma." This sounds frighteningly like the phrase "rehabilitation
of the pedophile." At the risk of sounding like a right-wing,
lock-'em-up-and-throw-away-the-key kind of guy, which I am not, I
take great exception to the idea that the puma can and should be allowed
to regain its place in our society, thereby incorporating my family
into the food chain. We own a cottage near Minden, Ont., and after
bear hunting was disallowed a few years back, it became a real issue
to stroll down the beach, let alone take a walk in the forest, because
of the increased number of bears in our area. Now, a bear is one thing — a
cougar is another story completely. The latter stalk and, apparently,
are attracted to children. Nice. There was a rumour that one was sighted
in the Haliburton area last summer. I have a knife just like the one
David Parker used to kill his cougar. Is that enough? Do I need to
buy one for my five- and eight-year-old children? I am fully aware
that wildlife needs to be conserved and respected. I am also aware
that most people are unwilling to put their own lives at risk in the
process.
Daniel Warren
Moffat, Ont.
I was dismayed by your cover. We live in a time of increasing urban
sprawl and technology use, when humans are becoming more disconnected
from nature. A photograph of an angry cougar with the title "Cougar
attack!" serves only to create the feeling that nature is something
man needs to fear and conquer. Rather, nature should be something
we respect, cherish and understand our place in. Not surprisingly,
your article goes on to say that the rise in cougar attacks is due
to human activities like logging, recreation and hunting. Perhaps
a more appropriate title for your story would be "Humans attack,
cougars defend!"
Stacy Hangemanole
Vancouver
We live on an island off the west coast of Vancouver Island, which
is about a kilometre and a half long and half a kilometre wide and
is home to deer, eagles, ravens, otters, raccoons, mink and much
more. The occasional cougar swims over once every two years or so,
and we feel so gifted to be able to live in a part of the world
where we can share this opportunity.
We have raised four children and a granddaughter on this island
and throughout the wilderness of Vancouver Island. They were taught
to be always watchful and to take nothing for granted — that a deer,
cougar or raven could harm them as easily as a human could.
We never let the children out of our sight or proximity whenever
we were camping or even on the island when they were young. They
were taught to walk with a stick, knife or spear if there was any
sign of a possible cougar or other predator around.
Although your article states that we shouldn't feed raccoons or
deer, as they attract cougars, I feel safer with deer and raccoons
around me because I know the cougars will be well fed and not interested
in me or my children, as is the case when they travel through here
in their search for food.
Fewer deer and the myriad logging roads throughout northern Vancouver
Island are direct causes of encounters between cougars and humans.
The main reason for the loss of deer is the massive clear-cutting
of forests large enough to protect and house mammals. The small
trees left provide no protection or food for deer in winter.
Susanne Hare
Wickaninnish Island, B.C.
The range of the cougar appears to be changing. There have been
sightings in my community of Fort Smith, N.W.T., and reports of
dogs disappearing from their leashes. As well, I recently heard
a radio report about cougar sightings in the Yellowknife area and
as far north as Rae. The explanations given for their presence this
far north were encroachment on their southern habitat and global
warming, which has made it easier for them to range this far in
the pursuit of white-tailed deer, another species moving north of
60.
T. Wayne Fry
Fort Smith, N.W.T.
In June 2001, I was walking along a forest path to the shore at
Lac des Arcs, just a few kilometres from Canmore, Alta. The morning
mist became heavier, so I decided to forget about doing Tai Chi
at the shore. As I turned around to return to the cabin, I saw a
light brown animal dash into the bush. I thought it might be a fox;
it appeared about that size but very fast. I stopped on the trail
and said merrily, "Oh, what are you? I would love to see you.
You can show me." Through a leafy bush about two and a half
metres away, I saw a muscular tan leg. Then a head peeked between
two branches, and I made careful eye contact. Then, less cheerily,
I said, "Oh, you're a cougar. OK, I'm going to leave now." And
I backed up and turned slowly to retrace my steps, looking around
every few seconds to see if it was following me. Fortunately, it
did not appear. Now that I know more about cougars, I realize it
was stalking me, so I consider myself extremely lucky. Perhaps I
was saved because it was not full-grown. I also appreciate having
seen this gorgeous creature in the wild. I wish human activity didn't
affect cougars so much.
Sharon Montgomery
Calgary
I do a lot of camping and hiking, often in bear country, sometimes
in cougar country, and I believe in being knowledgeable and prepared
for most eventualities, so your sidebar about safety in cougar country
was important for me. I was surprised, however, that in the when-all-else-fails
scenario, there was no mention of bear spray. Instead, we were advised
to fight back "with anything at hand." It seems to me
that if pepper spray can deter a charging grizzly, there might be
some chance of its turning away an attacking cougar. Did the author
not consider pepper spray, or has it been tried and found wanting?
Stephen Ross
Ottawa
Pepper spray is meant to immobilize a charging animal. Since
cougars often attack from behind without warning, a knife is more
likely to save your life. — Ed.
I'd like to relate something I saw last summer on the south shore
of the Gaspé Peninsula at New Carlisle, Que. Every morning, I got
up early and walked along the beach in front of my summer home,
something I have been doing for as long as I can remember. Last
summer, I was surprised to see a number of deer tracks and then
to hear from neighbours that one or two deer had fallen from the
cliffs and died.
At first, I assumed that the deer population must be increasing
and, as a result, they were coming out in search of food in gardens.
However, when I went back to my woodlot by bicycle, I saw deer tracks
in the mud on the trail I was following. As well, I noticed what
seemed to be a large cat track. Unfortunately, I don't have the
tracking skills my dad did, but it sure looked like the trail of
a big cat stalking a deer.
I will be returning in July and will keep my eyes posted for more
signs. Also, I think I will take a small hunting knife with me.
Dad never went into the woods without a twenty-two or an axe. I
appreciated the reminder of caution in your article.
Vivian Beebe-Moulins
Montréal
Man-made causes
Your article on low water levels in Lake Michigan-Huron and Georgian
Bay ("High and dry," CG May/June 2004) ignored important
scientific research which backs the position of the Georgian Bay
Association (GBA) that changes to the outflow of Lake Huron at the
mouth of the St. Clair River are a contributing factor to the problem.
A recent study by W. F. Baird & Associates Coastal Engineers, a
firm used extensively by the International Joint Commission (IJC),
estimates that river and shoreline alterations have resulted in
a permanent loss of 50 centimetres from the Lake Michigan-Huron
basin. Expert hydrological staff with Environment Canada agree with
the report's conclusions.
The article also gives the erroneous impression that the GBA believes
St. Clair River dredging is the major reason for low water in Lake
Michigan-Huron. In fact, we believe it is one of several factors,
which also include channel alterations, shoreline alterations in
Lake Huron, isostatic rebound, normal rain cycles and possibly climate
change. We have focused on the St. Clair River channel changes because
we believe they are the one anthropogenic cause that the IJC recognized
a long time ago and issued an order for mitigation, which has not
been respected. The GBA will continue to pressure governments on
both sides of the border to respect the IJC order and to do something
about one of the man-made causes of water loss in the middle Great
Lakes Basin.
John Pepperell
President, Georgian Bay Association
Your great summary of many of the factors affecting
the Great Lakes levels does not give climate variations the credit
they are due. I have experienced the variations in Georgian Bay levels
since 1928 and have been in the water-resource management business
for more than 50 years, mostly working on Great Lakes problems. (I
was director of Inland Waters, Ontario Region, and Canadian chairman
of the Lake Superior Board of Control, reporting to the International
Joint Commission.)
Three times in the past 100 years, the climate has caused the same
concerns as we are hearing today. We tend to think what we have
experienced in the past few decades is normal, but the records show
that the supply of water to the entire Great Lakes Basin has been
very much above the long-term average.
Mother Nature is calling the shots on this problem, and the culprit
is the climate. It affects the supply to Lake Superior as well as
Lake Michigan-Huron and Georgian Bay. Because these lakes are so
large, it takes several years for a climate trend to show, but that
is what is happening. It might be worse in the future as a result
of climate change. On the other hand, the trend over the past 100
years is for the wet periods to get wetter.
In the drought of the 1930s, my family learned where the rocks
were the hard way, by bumping over them. Our boat's top speed was
six miles per hour, and there was a sturdy steel bar to protect
the propeller. If moving the passengers onto the bow did not lift
the stern free, then one climbed over the stern and lifted the boat
off. In the process, we learned not only where the rocks were but,
more important, where they were not. This knowledge is still useful.
Derek Foulds, P. Eng.
Port Perry, Ont.
top
Your article on water levels in the Great Lakes
was fascinating and very informative — the kind of article I look
to Canadian Geographic to provide. I was, consequently, a bit dismayed
when I noticed an error in a sidebar. It asserts that Montréal handles
more container-ship traffic than any other North American port. Montréal
is, in fact, the thirteenth-ranked container port in North America,
handling 1.05 million units of containerized cargo in 2002, and the
second-ranked Canadian port, behind Vancouver, at 1.45 million units.
The side-by-side ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the biggest
in North America, together handling 10.6 million units in 2002.
It is safe to say that Montréal is the biggest container port in
the Seaway/Great Lakes system, but that isn't saying much.
Richard Nelson
Toronto
Vicious circle
As a chemist with a 38-year employment history
in the Canadian oil-and-gas industry, I read about the advantages
of producing ethanol from "agricultural wastes" ("Energy
Entrepreneurs," CG May/June 2004) with great interest. The discussion
of the Iogen process refers to the use of leftover wheat stalks, which "farmers
used to plow under or compost."
While I accept that greenhouse-gas emissions from combustion of
ethanol/ gasoline blends will be lower than those produced by combustion
of gasoline alone, removal of organic matter — that is, wheat straw
or cornstalks — from the soil will leave the crop fields increasingly
deficient in nutrients. Crop growth will be sustained only by the
application of increasing amounts of fertilizer, which is, in turn,
produced by industries consuming large amounts of energy (e.g.,
mining, manufacturing and transportation) with corresponding large
emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Overall, I would
expect that there might even be a net increase in greenhouse-gas
emissions.
Bill Lewis
Mississauga, Ont.
Big is better
I was offended by your tacit approval of the Meatrix
website ("Factory Farm Foes," CG May/June 2004) and its
lack of understanding of what happens in so-called factory farms.
The assumption that all our protein production can occur on small
farms and remain environmentally friendly is a pipe dream. In order
to comply with the environmental regulations in most provinces, a
large capital expenditure is required. To achieve this, production
must be of a scale that creates the opportunity for a profit. It is
time to move away from the misbegotten notion that the small, independent
family farm is capable of providing food for all of us. Specialization
is required, and without it, our standard of living will surely decline.
Lang Ellison
Westbank, B.C.
No freeway
I have just finished reading "The road from
Bathurst Inlet" (CG Mar/Apr 2004) and the reaction to it ("Reverberations," CG
May/June 2004). I believe that the whole truth should be given in
both. Your article omitted to mention that the ice road and the barge
will be inactive during the spring and fall migration of the caribou
due to the breakup and ice-up on Contwoyto Lake. During these two
periods, all traffic will be at a standstill.
You also need to clarify the issue regarding the calving grounds
of the Bathurst caribou herd. This herd is nomadic and does not
use the same region for calving every year. For a couple of years,
it calved to the east of the inlet. The past two, it has calved
well north of the region through which the road will go.
When people hear about this project, the picture that springs to
mind for them is something familiar. This road will not be a six-lane
highway with 30,000 vehicles per hour. It will be a three-to-four-metre-wide
dirt road with only the trucks that are needed on it. Maybe 20 trucks
will use the road on a frequent basis. That is not 20 trucks per
hour, not 20 trucks per day, maybe not even 20 trucks per week.
Furthermore, there won't be any private traffic on the road. Remember,
it is a road from a point where there are no people to another point
where there are no people. It does not go through or even close
to any village and it does not connect to the outside world.
The road will not be cut into the tundra but built on top of it
with material from borrow pits close to the road. Every wolf, wolverine
and bear den along the road is known, as well as every raptor nest
and cultural site. These will not be disturbed.
To state that the people were not informed or asked for their opinions
is just not true. I have photographs of the people of Bathurst Inlet
studying maps during consultations with them. Several rounds of
consultations were held with all the communities in the Kitikmeot.
I also take issue with the attitude of the Canadian Arctic Resources
Committee (CARC). How can they travel thousands of kilometres to
Bathurst Inlet to hear what they want to hear and say what they
want to say but can't travel 300 kilometres more to visit the proponents
of the project in Cambridge Bay? Tony Iacobelli of the World Wildlife
Fund Canada met with the proponents, and after some initial tense
and terse beginnings, the meetings went on to become very fruitful
for both sides. We would rather have groups working with us to make
the project happen in the best possible way than to fight each other
and achieve nothing constructive.
The people in the North are sick of the environmentalists who interfere
from their cozy living rooms in their luxury homes in the cities.
Why do they have the audacity to tell Inuit what to do? The Inuit
still remember what happened three decades ago, when the emotion-driven,
anti-fur groups killed the fur trade in the North. Did the anti-fur
lobbyists ever come up North to see what happened to the people
who made a meagre living out of fur before the ban? Did they ever
send a single cent to the North to help the people they robbed of
their livelihood? No, they did not.
I would advise these "concerned" Southerners to come
and live in the North, not for three days or three weeks in a luxury
lodge. Come for two or three years, get to know the people and their
circumstances. See how they suffer without a future. Experience
the hopelessness of their situation. Grieve with a whole hamlet
when it loses yet another young adult to suicide. Then you tell
me that the project should not go ahead, that the people should
not find jobs and a future.
Remember, this project is driven by Inuit, for Inuit. There is
no money going to foreign investors. Do you think for one moment
that Inuit will destroy the land and the animals that are not only
dear to them but also vital for their future? I don't think so.
Sam de Beer
Research Director, Déline Uranium Team
Déline, N.W.T.
top
Walking the line
I have great concerns with the story "Walking
The Line" by photographer J. Kevin Dunn (CG March/April '04).
It is my opinion that this story portrays our communities and rail
line in a very negative image with words and phrases such as old,
dying and trapped in a time warp coming to mind. In the "Features" section
on page 38 you use the words "abandoned rails of southern Saskatchewan".
This is out right false.
I am the General Manager of Great Western Railway (GWR). I have been
part of this new company since it's inception in September of 2000.
We are a private short line company presently owned by a company out
of Abbotsford, B.C. (Westcan Rail Ltd.). I have attached a map of
our railway for your reference. I was on maternity leave in the summer
of 2002 so I never had a chance to meet Mr. Dunn, but I think it is
clear from his story that he never spoke to GWR. Yet, he was walking
along our VERY ACTIVE rail line. I will comment on the safety issues
later in my letter.
I believe it is essential that you understand why I am taking this
personally, so I will give you a little background on myself. I grew
up in Shaunavon, one the communities the writer did not include in
his photographs. It is a thriving community and one of the major centers
along our railway. I left, like many other 18 year olds do, to the
land of concrete and urban opportunity. I finished by B.A. and moved
over seas to worlds that look, smell or sound nothing like Southwest
Saskatchewan. After 7 years of living in major cities in the world,
I returned to my roots. Mr. Dunn did get one comment right, "(this)
is the kind of place where every kid should grow up." I am now 30
years old and managing a railway and enjoying every minute of rural
Saskatchewan life and it is a great place to raise our daughter. I
thank the writer for noting this.
Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) did sell the 308 miles of track to
the present owner to run a railway and CPR is our partner. I take
great issue with the comments and the slant of the story that the
writer took. He states on page 83, "...during a 400-kilometre walk
along a largely unused rail line." Where did he get such a comment?
Did he come and speak to our company? Did you talk to the many people
who use our line weekly? Just because CPR is not here does not mean
we are "unused". We have shipped over 7000 cars in over 3 years of
operating. The writer also states on page 81, "I followed an outdated
strip of railway". I find this comment out right offensive. We are
not outdated in any way or form. Will your readers think of all of
us who live here as "outdated"? This is my point on perception. This
is very negative when you are a railway offering a service to an entire
area. A service that takes a huge amount of stress off already over
stressed taxpayer funded rural highways and roads. Our track is safe,
in good condition and most all we are very much needed as an essential
service for Southwest Saskatchewan.
The large grain companies that moved out of this area never took into
consideration the cost to the local people to move all the grain north,
including roads, businesses, and basic economic growth. GWR and our
many supporters are showing that there is another way to move the
grain and it is not outdated - it is progressive and economical.
In fact, we run more trains a year now than CPR did in its final years
before selling the line. We run weekly and CPR would run maybe half
that much. We can service this area better than the large Class one
railway because we do not require a large amount of cars to make a
train run and we offer that personal service that these communities
need. We are also open to new ideas and easily adapt to changes. Large
corporations do not have such advantages. Yes, some grain companies
have walked away from this area, but the grain is still here. The
farmers have a choice here unlike other areas where the rail line
has been removed. We are one of the good stories where the rail was
saved.
There has been some elevators lost in the last 4 years, but I am very
proud to say, that because of our company there was 16 elevators saved,
along with a large number of new loading facilities developed. Some
of these elevators are now locally owned businesses that are offering
services that would have been lost. This provides a competitive environment
for the farmers - they have a choice and do not have to be forced
to move to the north and the large concrete terminals that sit next
the CPR's main line.
We are the largest producer car shipping short line in Canada. We
have 32 active loading locations along a 308 mile track. This is an
area that is progressive and working very hard to grow high quality
grain and cattle that many in the urban centers enjoy.
My friends in the cities, like Calgary and Vancouver often wonder
how I can live here. What a ridiculous statement. What they picture
is a world with nothing left. I often wonder why. Why do they think
this way? It is my belief that stories like this one depict an old,
dilapidated, dying world. As he states, "In some towns, doors and
windows are boarded up." This is very negative and perception can
be a very powerful tool. You may not see the connections to modern
day urban life, but they are here. Our company alone works with individuals
and organizations from all around Canada every day, planning train
runs, working on provincial and federal issues facing railways and
grain transportation across our great country.
I agree that some of the communities along our railway are "ghost
towns" but what about all the ones that are not. Why is it that writers
and photographers love the old barns, dilapidated fences and towns
that are no more?
On page 90 of his story he does mention Great Western Railway but
he did not get the comments quite right. The producers do not pay
Great Western Railway directly but they do save money in many ways,
not just the trucking cost. My other comment here is the picture itself.
It is a great photo of a wonderful teenager and his classic old truck,
but do you wonder how this looks to those in the urban centers. You
make it look like we are all "trapped in a time warp". Do you know
that most of our area drives trucks, SUVs and cars that are brand
new and some trucks are worth as much as a foreign sports car?
One other concern I had was the safety issue. It is not safe to walk
along railway tracks. There is not only trains to be concerned with
but also our maintenance staff in trucks that run the track, hunters
in hunting season that shoot across our tracks, and there is the horrible
scenario that an individual will be injured along a very remote area
of the track and with no one knowing they are out there. I do invite
hikers, tourists, campers and Mr. Dunn back to our rail line, but
ask that they call our office at 306-297-2777 to get clearance to
walk along our track. We will provide them with reflective vests and
current train run and maintenance staff plans. By contacting us we
know who is on our property and we can make sure that they and our
staff are safe.
Trains are very important to modern day transportation. I am proud
to say that this railway will be sold by the end of this year to new
owners who are part of the many communities that we service. Our potential
is only limited by the imaginations of the great people of the Southwest.
I invite all your readers to come and visit our very active railway.
I truly hope that Mr. Dunn will return and we can show him an even
better adventure.
I do thank the writer for bringing just a small taste of our wonderful
world to the readers of your great magazine. This is a unique place
in modern day where the history of bandings and elevators are kept
alive and the romance of the train whistle can be heard every week.
I stress that we are opting out of the decline of rural Saskatchewan.
We are finding a balance between our traditions and modern conveniences
and it is a wonderful way to live. We invite anyone to come and enjoy
the hospitality of our railway company and our communities.
Stacey Wallis, B.A.
General Manager
Great Western Railway
Shaunavon, S.K.
My best memories of my childhood were spent
in Mankota with my Auntie Helen and Uncle Charlie. Shopping at
Kouri's Market was a part of it. The last time I was in the store
brought you back, as if you were suspended in time. I believe
Allan their son is still there managing the family store.
For anyone who lived this life, this was a wonderful walk down memory
lane. Well done!! I shall save this edition.
Carla Weddell
Kamloops, B.C.
Ethanol hype
In "Gas from Grain-Energy Entrepreneurs" (CG May/June
2004) John DeMont does Canadians a disservice by vastly elevating
the prospects for ethanol. Let me make three points.
First, he correctly says that Canadian production is far behind Brazil
and the United States. But these countries are hardly exemplary. Owing
to government subsidy cuts, Brazil has backtracked on its output from
sugar cane. According to americanrenwables.org,
over the 2002-03 crop year consumption was 190,000 billion barrels.
That is barely 10 percent of the amount of crude oil (almost all refined
for liquid fuel) consumed in that country (BP Statistical Review 2003).
Further, from a variety of sources, it is clear that, despite congressional
handouts that primarily help agribusinesses such as Archer Daniels
Midland and Cargill, not farmers, ethanol contributes wwll under one
percent of U.S. liquid fuels. Hardly sterling.
Second, he refuses to accept David Pimentel's analysis over many years
that ethanol is an energy sink with negative net energy. DeMont prefers
Natural Resources Canada consultant Don O'Connor's assertion: "He
[Pimentel] just doesn't do a very good job examining these numbers." Now,
I would be more inclined to listen to a seasoned and respected researcher
than a consultant who, one suspects, like many consultants, tells
his sponsor what the sponsor wants to hear. Even if one wishes for
a positive return on energy invested, scant comfort will come those
who argue for a positive return. Researchers at the U.S. Department
of Agriculture can come up with a very low amount — far below
the dense fuel created ancient photosynthesis through plants covering
vast areas of shallow Silurian seas: one gallon from a hundred years.
A society cannot build its liquid-fuel needs on one year's photosynthesis — unless
we don't want to eat.
Finally, in short, ethanol can hardly be more than a niche fuel. When
oil, apparently about to reach its peak of production, begins to run
down, the result will likely be a much diminished pace of human activity,
which given our predilection for growth, will not be pleasant.
Dr. Jim Lemon
Professor Emeritus, Geography
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ont.
Agricultural residues destined for ethanol
production are hardly "stuff that no one used to care about" (CG May/June
2004). Farmers have long known that crop residues are crucial
for maintenance of soil organic matter and fertility and for erosion
control. Frequent removal of biomaterials from any ecosystem,
including agricultural land, has significant consequences. A balanced
analysis of ethanol production from agricultural "waste" should
consider long-term sustainability and productivity of the soils
that produce our food. Then we may be ready to "see the light."
Wayne Liebau
Fenwick, Ont.
I took great interest in your article on ethanol
in Canada. The piece on David Pimentel saying "Take the government
subsidies out of it, and the whole thing would collapse" are the
truest words every spoken, in southern Ontario with the commercial
alcohol plant in Chatham us Canadian subsidy this plant 10 cent
on every litre of ethanol that it produces, but also while it
is importing American corn,which is subsidized by the US government
it is offering Ontario corn producers 30 cents less for their
corn than the corn that is imported from Michigan. So actually
the Canadian farmer is subsidizing the ethanol industry twice
in Canada. Through our taxes and the price we receive for our
corn.
Chuck Guyitt
Ridgetown, Ont.
Polar Bears at the North Pole
Further to the letter from Chuck Harris ("Reverberations," CG May/June
'04), Commanding Officer of USS "Honolulu" reporting three polar bears
on the ice where the submarine surfaced some 800 kilometres from the
North Pole (which works out to about latitude 83 degrees North). On
the three voyages I have made to the North Pole (90 degrees North
latitude) aboard the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker "Yamal" in
1999, 2000 and 2003 respectively, we have regularly sighted recent
polar bear tracks on the pack ice up to 88 degrees North latitude
(120 nautical miles or 220 kilometres from the Pole). In the MillenniumYear
2000 a large pool of open water happened to be at the Pole position
and we found several seals swimming there. Though not close enough
to positively identify their species, they were thought to be ringed
seals. Wherever there is a combination of ice and seals, one can expect
to find polar bears, so we always take anti-bear precautions at the
Pole in the same way as anywhere else in the Arctic, even though we
are over 600 nautical miles (1,100 kilometres) from the nearest land.
There is a letter published in the Journal of the Arctic Institute
of North America "Arctic", Volume 56, No. 3, September 2003, reporting
a polar bear sighted on August 5, 2001, from the "Yamal" only 13 nautical
miles (24 kilometres) from the North Pole, so I think it can be safely
assumed that polar bears can be found roaming all over the Arctic
Ocean, the North Geographical Pole included. The same letter to "Arctic" cites
the presence of ringed seals at or near to the North Pole in 1992,
also sighted from "Yamal".
Captain Patrick R.M.Toomey,
Canadian Coast Guard (Retired)
Kingston, Ont.
Great lakes
"Contrary to popular belief, the largest lake
in the world is not Lake Superior, but Lake Michigan-Huron." ("High
and dry", CG May/June '04)
I understand that Lake Superior received its name from a French explorer
who named it because it was the "farthest" westernmost lake, and because
it was the lake of the highest elevation — hence its French
name "Superior". Upper Canada is upper because of its geographical
elevation, Lower Canada is of a lower elevation than Upper Canada.
Also, the Great Lakes are actually draining. The water flowing over
the Niagara Falls is actually the Great Lakes basin draining. Eventually
all the water within the Great Lakes will drain away into the St.
Lawrance and into the sea. Perhaps the process is now visually verifiable.
Maurice Rose
Ottawa, Ont.
For years we have been saying we're losing
water in Lakes Huron and Erie. No one has ever mentioned the canal
from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River!
The United Sates has been draining for years, at least three times
the water than was agreed upon by treaty many years ago. This has
also allowed southern fish life to come up into Michigan and Huron.
I saw Gar Pike from Huron back in the late 1950's! It could also
be where the Lamprey Eels came from.
Do you not think this needs investigation?
Gene Graham
Saltspring Island, B.C.
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Marsh poetry
Never before have I read an article ("Spring between
the tides", CG May/June '04) of prose that so accurately
conjures up my memories as a boy growing up in the country. Harry
Thurston poetically describes the absolute wonder of spring. And,
as I now live in the hustle and bustle of the city, never has an article
calmed me more. Wonderful.
Mike Duncan
Toronto, Ont.
Eco-nuts
Evidently it is not enough that I must protect
my eight-year-old daughter from the influence of TV, the internet,
and newspapers. Now I must protect her from the likes of Canadian
Geographic as well.
Your sad rag appears to provide a voice for every enviro and eco-nut
on the planet. Every problem faced by every creature,
desert, wetland, forest...is linked to "uncaring" human behavior.
What a crock. The latest episode {on the cougar} ("Cougar attack," CG May/June
'04) is just one of an endless series of diatribes against our every
action. As usual, there is no supporting evidence to prove the case.
Allow me to point out that the areas that involve most cougar attacks
are places we have inhabited for 100 or more years. So how can "encroachment" be
blamed for a rise in attacks? On the one hand we are encouraged to
get off our couches and hike and walk for our health, and to explore
the wild beauty around us. On the other hand, these econuts don't
want the public to wander into their private reserves on public land.
Who are these people that only they should have access to the wild
country?
My family lives in an area inhabited by cougar. It doesn't bother
us as long as the cougar keeps to his own. When he doesn't, the sound
of gunfire after dark resolves the problem without the expenditure
of millions of tax dollars and without the arrogant lecturing of the "privileged
class."
Dale Stavroff
Robert's Creek, B.C.
Shark poison
Wayne Grady's article on Greenland sharks (CC March/April
'04) was very interesting, but there was some confusion in his discussion
of the poisonous flesh of this species. Grady uses the terms ammonia
and urea interchangeably. In fact, the two are distinct (albeit related)
chemical compounds that are produced as byproducts of protein metabolism.
Ammonia is far more toxic than urea; only aquatic animals such as
fishes excrete it to any significant extent because large amounts
of water are required to rapidly flush it away from the gills. Urea,
on the other hand, can be accumulated in greater amounts in the body
before being excreted due to its relatively low toxicity, thus reducing
water demand and making it the "favoured" waste in mammals
(birds and reptiles excrete uric acid, which is even less toxic and
needs less water for excretion).
Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) are unusual among
aquatic animals in that they primarily excrete urea, but this is because
they retain high levels of urea in their body to help regulate water
balance. Thus, the large amount of urea in the Greenland shark has
less to do with its polar habitat than with the fact that it is a
shark.
That said, Elasmobranchs do contain high levels of methylamines
such as trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) to counteract the perturbing effect
of urea on proteins, and a breakdown product of TMAO has been implicated
in poisoning following consumption of Greenland shark flesh. As Grady
states, however, this is only a theory and questions remain. Other
commonly eaten sharks, for example, have amounts of TMAO in their
flesh similar to that found in Greenland sharks yet apparently do
not cause poisoning. It may be that only excessive consumption of
Greenland shark flesh is the cause of the poisoning, in which case
I reckon we have little to worry about given the gastronomical potential
of hákarl. (Incidentally, although Greenland sharks are closely related
to the dogfishes of the family Squalidae, they actually belong
to the family Dalatiidae, a group of mostly deep-water sharks
that are commonly and confusingly called dogfishes.)
Ben Speers-Roesch
Department of Zoology
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ont.
Bathurst Inlet Port & Road
I grew up and was raised in Bathurst Inlet ("Bathhurst
Inlet," CG March/April '04) area until I went to school and
continued to live there until I moved to another community. Why are
people like Senator Adams and Charlie Lyall telling people what to
do; or do they realize that they are still treating Inuit the way
it has been for the past century? Can they imagine how they would
feel if someone just up and told them that this project is good for
them even though it is going to disrupt their whole way of living
and survival? It is a good idea for people who do not actually live
there and do not see the consequences it is going to have on the people
of the area and their way of life now and in the future. Having to
live in a community that has all the services that connects you to
the south is great; but there are consequences that the people of
Bathurst Inlet/Bay Chimo do not have to live with daily: ie: liquor/drugs/suicides/mental
health problems that come with growing communities and will be irreversible
once the project is complete. The job/money is great for a short time,
but our land is precious and cannot be put back the way it was after
it has been uprooted and used, as we are one of the lucky people in
the world who actually have our fresh air and water. It will have
a devasting affect on the migration route of the caribou herd which
the people of the area depend on, rivers and ocean may not as be clean
after the road is done (pollution of air/gas/fuel/fumes from trucks
and ships) is going to affect the wildlife (ie: fish/fowl/small game/caribou)
and may disrupt burial sites and heritage sites that have been there
for years.
Martina Maniyogina
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut
Reading the river
This interesting story reminded me of a technical
paper "THE EDMONTON WATERWORKS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM dated 1939.
After flowing some 315 miles from the Saskatchewan Glacier, some of
the water of the North Saskatchewan River enters the intakes of the
City of Edmonton Waterworks System and progresses through a modern
treatment plant to serve a city whose population was approaching 90,000.
The river with its headwaters in the mountains is fed largely by glaciers,
the biggest of which is the Saskatchewan. During the peak months of
the years 1916-21, on arriving in Edmonton, was composed of almost
60% glacial water. Percentage glacial flow was assumed that all water
passing the hydrometric station at Saunders, which is at the gap leaving
the last mountain range, was of glacial origin.
I had been on the survey for the location survey of the Banff-Jasper
Highway in 1935 below the glacier and visited again in 1945 in 1970
and 1990 and the retreat of the glacier was very noticeable. The population
of Edmonton has now reached one million.
Charles K. Hurst P. Eng
Chief Engineer, Canada Public Works, Retired
Ottawa, Ont.
* Letters may be edited for length, accuracy and liability.
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