Trying to measure child poverty in Richmond 5 / Lansdowne turns 35 23
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REVIEW wednesday, september 19, 2012
24 PAGEs
Councillors want more bite in bylaw Anti-tethering amendment could soon come to animal control bylaw by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter Dog owners who tether their animals could soon be bit in the pocketbook as civic politicians move to stop a practice seen as cruel. City council’s community safety committee has ordered staff to draft an amendment to the animal control bylaw to specifically include an “unattended, anti-tethering” clause. The committee made the decision after hearing an appeal from Janet Olson and Marlene Keefe of Ban Resident Dogs on Sept. 11. “Resident dogs have addresses, not homes. Chained and penned dogs must eat, sleep, urinate and defecate in a single confined area,” said Olson, in her graphic presentation to politicians. Olson told committee many chained dogs hang themselves when trying to jump over doghouses or fences. She showed an image of a dog from Surrey that strangled itself after struggling for hours to free itself from a tangled tether. “Dogs are chained for any number of reasons, but one of the most common is to act as guard dogs,” said Keefe. “By isolating dogs and depriving them of their greatest emotional need, we create unsocialized and emotionally detached time bombs. Such dogs become aggressive—not protective.” Olson said chained and confined dogs can’t be seized under provincial legislation unless the animals are close to death. With no response from the province, the Ban Resident Dogs group is urging municipalities to make their own rule, which would give local animal control officers the power to act. They’ve already convinced Surrey to draft legislation, and Keefe said other B.C. municipalities—Burnaby, Delta, Lions Bay, New Westminster and Victoria—already have such a law. Richmond community bylaws manager Wayne Mercer told councillors his staff has fielded eight complaints this year related to the tethering of dogs. He said the city’s existing bylaw includes a clause to deal with the tethering of animals. But elected officials—councillors Linda McPhail, Evelina HalseyBrandt and Bill McNulty, along with Mayor Malcolm Brodie— wanted the bylaw to be more specific. “There’s no doubt that our bylaw could be more specific or have some language that would certainly strengthen it,” said McPhail, noting staff are already reviewing the animal control bylaw. “Certainly I don’t think anybody would like to see any animal treated that way.” Committee also asked staff to investigate the provincial government’s position.
Matthew Hoekstra photo Zebra-striped Legends servers Robyn Strang and Shannon Mohr flank pub owner Glenn Jensen during Monday Night Football this week.
Hockey lockout looms large for bars Canucks games can boost sports bar business by 50 per cent by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter It’s game night at Legends Pub and servers are dressed like referees, save for the plunging necklines and shortshorts. Tables are full and eyes—most at least—are glued to TVs around the
Buswell Street bar. But it’s football, not hockey, that’s dominating the screens. Legends is one of many sports bars shifting its focus away from the Vancouver Canucks now that a labour dispute could cancel the NHL season. “When I have a Canuck game, my staff doubles,” said owner Glenn Jensen. “It will obviously take a bite.” The National Hockey League locked out its players at midnight Saturday, and the possibility of the regular season starting on as scheduled Oct. 11 is in
jeopardy. For now, the hockey jerseys are tucked away, but Jensen is nonetheless optimistic other sports will fill the void. “People just need something to do and they don’t want to sit at home and watch the TV,” he said. “Everybody has HD and 50inch screens at home, but I think we just make it a little more entertaining for them.” John Holmes, general manager of the Shark Club Richmond said a Canucks game can increase business by 50 per cent, drawing customers in on what would otherwise be a quieter night. See Page 6
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