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Friday, February 6, 2015
Skyfest newcomers PAGE A17
VOL. 101 NO. 45
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Integris partners with Skyfest The Canadian Forces CF-18 Demonstration Team returns to Quesnel Skyfest in 2015 thanks to the IntegrisSkyfest partnership. With the understanding that Skyfest brings significant economic and community benefits to businesses and residents of Quesnel (and the region at large), Integris has contributed $18,000 to bring the roar of the Hornet to Skyfest on the August long weekend. Left to right front row: Gayle Perison, Insurance manager; Barb Van Halderen, Skyfest; Dan Wingham, manager of partnerships; back row: Sheri Coles, branch manager, Quesnel; David Bird, CEO; Trina Melanson, Brenda Astorino, VP, member services and Chelsey Bishop. Annie Gallant photo
Crowd protests government gaming allocation decision AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter More than 200 crowded the Legion Saturday in protest of the province’s game allocation decision. In December, changes to B.C.’s wildlife allocations meant more gaming allocations to guide outfitters and less to residents. “Essentially they’re privatizing game,” vicepresident for region five for B.C. Wildlife, Ken Last said. “It’s taking away from
those hunting to feed their family.” “In 2007, a new Wildlife Allocation Policy was established in B.C. in an attempt to fairly determine the number of hunting permits allocated, which gave foreign hunters the best share of the available hunting permits,” the B.C. Wildlife Federation website states. This policy has since been changed, reducing residents’ access to wild game and increasing the number of permits sold to
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foreign hunters. “We need to push government hard,” president of the Spruce City Wildlife Association, Jim Glacair told the crowd during Saturday’s meeting. “These allocations need to be science-based.” Residents expressed concern over a system one called “broken.” The petition to urge government to overturn the decision calls on the province to change the Wildlife Harvest Allocation Policy, it states:
“To the Honourable Legislative Assembly to the Province of British Columbia: We, the undersigned, representing residents of British Columbia and supporters of resident hunting in the province, state that changes to the Province’s Wildlife Harvest Allocation Policy announced in December 2014 provide an unwarranted larger share of hunting permits to B.C.’s professional guides and outfitters, who primarily guide non-resi-
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dent trophy hunters, at the expense of B.C. resident hunters. The wildlife allocation made available to Guide Outfitters Association of BC members is unprecedented in North America and there is no economic justification for these allocation changes, which will adversely affect B.C.’s resident hunters. We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the provincial government repeal the changes to the Wildlife Harvest Alloca-
tion Policy announced on December 10, 2014 by the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and limit non-resident hunters and Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. members to the Wildlife Harvest Allocation specified in the 2007 Wildlife Allocation Policy. The online petition can be accessed at, www.bcwf. bc.ca. “This is about getting the decision reversed,” Last said. “We can’t give up.”
February 9 Have a great long weekend from all of us at