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PROUDLY SERVING KIMBERLEY AND AREA SINCE 1932 | Vol. 80, Issue 211 | www.dailybulletin.ca
BRIAN COPPING PHOTO
If it’s foggy, climb that mountain. While the rest of the valley, including most of Kimberley, was blanketed in fog over the weekend, up at the Kimberley Alpine Resort skies were clear. This photo was taken at KAR on Saturday, looking south to Cranbrook.
Council discusses deer cull
City of Kimberley will apply for permit to cull up to 30 animals C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
When the Kimberley Urban Deer Committee tabled the document ‘Managing for the Future’ last year, Kimberley City Council accepted unanimously and agreed to follow its recommendations. One of those recommendations was that occasional culls would still be required to manage Kimberley’s deer population. At City Council on Monday evening, Council voted to apply for a permit that would allow a cull of a maximum of 30 mule deer. It is by no means certain the cull will occur — it remains dependent on upcoming population counts in November. Committee Chair Gary Glinz
wrote to Council explaining the reasoning. “This request is a proactive measure to ensure we can obtain a permit in a timely manner. the permit will only be used if this November’s deer counts indicated a cull is required as outlined in the matrix within the document ‘Managing for the Future’ and further approval from the City is obtained.” Council had a long discussion on the matter. When Coun. Darryl Oakley put forward the motion, there was a significant pause before Coun. Jack Ratcliffe seconded it to open it to discussion. Oakley said the decision on whether to go ahead will not just factor in population but also what the City can afford. Oakley said the deer committee had an extensive debate and looked at number of complaints, where they occurred, accidents and more. “When the counts are done, it
will come back to Council to decide if a cull will take place,” Oakley said. Coun. Kent Goodwin proposed that the maximum number culled should be 50, not 30. He said that Kimberley was already over the threshold that the Managing document suggests would require a cull of 30. “It’s quite possible we’ll be over the next threshold after this count. If we can find the money, we should consider taking 50.” However, it was argued that the City should continue to follow the Deer Committee’s recommendations to the letter. Mayor McRae asked about selective culling of only problem animals. “In conversations I have had with Gary Glinz around the cull, it was mentioned that we would seek a permit to address problem deer, meaning responding to specific incidents and using the permit to address that.”
Oakley said that was the preferred way, but that there had been considerable resistance from the MInister on that. “Especially during fawning season, there is no way they will allow us to take out an aggressive doe and leave a fawn behind. Maybe in the winter months.” Oakley also said the City had few options because the province had not made any moves yet to amend the Wilfdlife Act to allow aversive conditioning, despite a successful experiment in Kimberley last spring, which limits the City’s options. And there is the matter of costs as well. Since the previous culls two years ago, costs of trapping have risen significantly to $650 per trap. Goodwin suggested that if prices had risen that much, it should go out to tender again to find different trappers.
See CITY , Page 3
Meanwhile in Invermere Carolyn Grant While Kimberley City Council mulls culls, the City of Invermere will put the question to referendum this Saturday. Invermere voters will be asked - “Do you approve council of the district of Invermere to use a deer cull as a method to control the urban deer population?” This comes after the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in the District of Invermere’s favour on a challenge by animal rights activists that in the last cull, in which fewer than 20 animals were taken before it was stopped the by a court in junction, the public was not consulted properly. Mayor Ron McRae says the result of the court ruling is “great news” for any community involved in deer management issues. “There has been a lot of hesitancy around managing deer and the lack of options made available,” McRae said. “That court case brought everything to a standstill.” McRae also said that the outcome of Invermere’s referendum will be interesting. “They are able to do it because they are tying it to a referendum on a new community centre. I wouldn’t recommend it for Kimberley just by virtue of the cost.” Councillor Darryl Oakley added that he is glad Invermere won their court case as well. “What they just went through in court involved massive costs and massive stress for Mayor and Council. I hope they will have their costs recovered.” However, Oakley said the referendum could be exciting. “The animal rights groups are headed there,” he said.