magazine / jf03
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January/February 2003 issue |
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Reverberations
No greedy miscreants
As a dedicated hunter and angler living in Alberta, I read the
feature "Sacrificial ram" and the "Editor’s notebook"
(CG Nov/Dec 2002) with great interest. While I have to agree
with much of what you say about government cutbacks in this province
and the questionable conduct of the Ministry of Sustainable Resource
Development, I take exception to the image of hunters portrayed in these
articles.
There is no game of "cat and mouse" between Alberta’s
sportsmen and conservation officers. Sheep hunters follow the letter
of the law as they take to the mountains to hunt rams. They are not
hunting rams because of some perceived value that has been placed on
the horns. They are hunting sheep because they are sheep hunters. These
hunters are passionate about their heritage and see those who attempt
to circumvent the rules as thieves and poachers.
Hunters and anglers are not the greedy, resource-exploiting miscreants
your magazine would have readers believe. Sportsmen have been supporters
of, and catalysts for, many regulations, closures and progressive management
techniques. Their involvement is not akin to wolves looking after the
sheep.
It’s unfortunate that the funding for wildlife management and research
has fallen into the hands of these non-profit groups, but thankfully,
there are enough dedicated members to donate their time and money to
pick up the slack.
The minister’s hunt permits mark a new direction in the province,
and whether this is fraught with pitfalls remains to be seen. But for
now, it seems to be the only solution to dwindling dollars and manpower
within his department. Is this real hunting? Legally, yes. Morally,
that may be a question better left to individuals using the permits,
not outsiders, to judge.
T. J. Schwanky, Cochrane, Alta.
I have watched with sad amusement the constant "reorganization-as-occupation" of
Alberta’s various environmental departments. Ralph Klein and Mike Cardinal’s
management of the environment is truly Laurel and Hardy-esque. We all know this
government is anti-intellectual, but they’ve gone so far as to be anti-facts,
anti-truth, anti-reality. No wonder most of us in this province have taken to calling
Cardinal’s AB Sustainable Resource Development department by the acronym
absurd.
Ann Lockwood, Vermilion, Alta.
I was amazed to learn how big-game hunting works in Alberta and how the Fish and
Wildlife Management arm of the government has been cut back. The budgetary reductions
have never been publicized to my knowledge — very short-sighted but in keeping
with the arrogance of opening the walleye fishery on the minister’s favourite
lake. Thanks for new knowledge of my home province.
John Lilley, Edmonton
Your article was both provocative and informative. Who would have thought that
a wealthy province like Alberta would have to resort to desperate fundraising schemes
to finance wildlife research and conservation? It is ironic that the province blessed
with abundant areas of international significance lacks the vision to preserve
and conserve our natural resources.
The Alberta response to Kyoto appears to underscore this myopia and reminds me
of earlier objections to the need for vehicle-emission standards. If the rams are
available for profit, why not the grizzly bears, whooping cranes, bald eagles,
fossils from Dinosaur Provincial Park and water from the Bow River? A debate and
an action plan are required. National wisdom must trump provincial jurisdiction.
The challenge to all could be summarized in the words of historian and author
Stephen Ambrose: "In the 20th century, our best minds worked on how to conquer
nature. In the 21st century, our best minds are going to work on how to restore
nature."
Ted Hains, Toronto
Erosion myopia
I wonder whether Ed Struzik is being a bit historically myopic in his article on the Northwest
Territories, "Changing courses" (CG Sept/Oct 2002), in attributing erosion
of the Arctic coastline to modern-day global warming. In 1906-1907, well before the full-blown
onset of climate change, Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson made his first foray to
the Beaufort Sea area, where he conducted archaeological work. In Hunters of the Great
North, he observed, "It seems the north coast of Alaska is sinking gradually.… When
a gale comes from the open sea, the waves will undermine the cliffs of the islands at a
great rate so that the coastline sometimes recedes as much as a hundred yards in a single
summer.… All sorts of ancient implements and other relics were being washed away by
the sea."
Aaron Spitzer, Whitehorse
Front-line forecasters
I really enjoyed reading "Storm coast" (CG Nov/Dec 2002), particularly
the last conversations between marine fore-caster Owen Lange and the ship. I do not know
Mr. Lange personally, but I work for Environment Canada and can relate to what he went through
during and following the events of that night, as can any of the front-line staff in weather
centres. In some cases, such as the storm of October 2001, things develop so rapidly, there
is little time to avoid tragedies. In others, despite the best information we provide, bad
decisions are made, with tragic results. I can clearly recall a winter evening in the early
1980s, while working at the Sudbury Weather Office, when a pilot insisted on flying VFR [visual
flight rules] to Toronto through snow squalls off Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. After receiving
repeated warnings and being advised to take a safer route, which involved a big detour through
Ottawa, he took off anyway, citing good weather at his departure and his destination locations.
About an hour later, the ELT [emergency locator transmitter] went off in the flight service
station adjacent to our office.
Most of my close colleagues who have worked in these offices have experienced
such events on more than one occasion. Staff take their responsibilities very seriously
and are very close to the users of the information we produce.
Etienne Grégoire, Embrun, Ont.
Online Reverberations additions
"Sacrificial Ram"
I had been a proud Albertan for 24 years but in recent years have found
nothing to stand tall about. It seems that our province is slowly creeping towards
becoming the 53rd state of our neighbour’s to the south. Your editor’s
note as well as the "Sacrificial Ram" article (CG Nov/Dec 2002)made
me take note of the path that Alberta is on. I would like to say that the opinion
of our elected premier and his ministers does not sit well with me. It seems that
our modern day North American Napoleon leader cannot take advice and bases his
decisions on personal knowledge rather then facts. If its not drunken rants at
an Edmonton homeless shelter, it is cuts to our health care and education, or spending
millions of our taxpayers money fighting an environmental policy that will be beneficial
to the world. Klein has taken it upon himself to make Alberta look like a province
of uneducated, out of shape, rednecks. I only hope that we as Albertan’s
finally say enough is enough, we’re tired of the embarrassment, and bring
in a government that will listen and make decisions based on the best interest
of not only Alberta but of Canada and the world.
Dale Nelson, Grande Prairie, Alta.
I am, I’m sure, one of many "retired" hunters who feel that the
Liberal government’s laws on the long hunting weapons has eradicated hunting
for the majority who can no longer take the constant harassment, abuse, paperwork
and cost of being a hunter. Notwithstanding, your article was excellent but I had
to read the article twice to determine if you were pro or con to the concept of "game
farm hunting" with respect to the Alberta Big Horn Sheep. I believe you have
concluded that in light of continued Klein cuts to departments whose goal may be
contrary to big oil interests the only option is to succede to the "game ranch" concept.
As distasteful as that is, I agree with you, but shouldn’t all of the provincial
generated hunting license revenue be put back into re-establishing the environment
that our predeceasors let denigrate? I do believe that oil revenue and some tax
money should indeed be put back into the system to restore former habitat and stock.
Pity Ralph Klein hasn’t got the idea yet. Thanks for an enlighting article.
Dennis
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