“Those people are my friends”
- accused killer page 3
SPOTL SPOT SPOTLIGHT LIGHT $1.10 Includes TAX
The Similkameen
Volume 65 Issue 14
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Proudly serving the community since 1948 • www.similkameenspotlight.com
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Town to get PLEASE DON’T tough on deer FEED ME offenders Andrea DeMeer Spotlight Staff
There’s no magic bullet to solve the problem of urban deer conflict in the town of Princeton. That was the message delivered last Tuesday to about 50 residents at a public forum, held at Riverside Centre, to discuss the issue. “We are going to get a game plan backed by our citizens,” Mayor Frank Armitage told the audience in an address from the floor. “There is a hue and cry in our community and this [meeting] has been a first step.” Armitage said the town will appoint up to four community representatives to the Urban Deer Committee and promised there will be future public meetings. Education and by law enforcement will be key parts of a new comprehensive strategy, said Councillor Doug Pateman, a member of the town’s Urban Deer Committee and co-chair of Tuesday’s meeting. “There are many things that can be done but we must have the support of the community,” said Pateman. “The next step is coming up with a program that we can bring to the public.” Pateman cautioned a solution “is not going to be an overnight thing or something one month down the road.” Following the two-hour forum Rick Zerr, CAO, confirmed the town has earmarked $25,000 in the upcoming budget to install a cattle guard at the Princeton landfill to keep deer off
the property. The town will also begin writing tickets to residents who feed deer. Under Princeton’s bylaw the offense is punishable by a $100 fine, although Zerr said he is not aware of anyone being charged in the past. “If people don’t comply there has to be some consequence,” he said. “If people are going to continue to feed the deer, that would be the consequence.” Zerr said a recent application to WildsafeBC for funding for a town deer coordinator is still pending approval and in the interim the town will work with existing WildsafeBC staff. Several deer experts spoke at Tuesday’s forum, including conservation service officer Jim Beck, provincial wildlife biologist Craig McLean, and WildsafeBC coordinators Zoe Kirk and Frank Ritcey. Ritcey emphasized that feeding deer only aggravates human-deer conflicts. “People think if they feed the deer they are helping them, but they are really hurting them.” He said urban deer issues are a phenomenon of the last twenty years, and began about the same time municipalities established leash laws to control dogs. WildsafeBC now receives 700 calls a year about aggressive deer. “Safety is a real issue with deer.” Some BC communities have implemented culling – by sharpshooting continued page nine
Weather Watch Wednesday
High 13/ Low -1
Thursday
High14/Low0
Friday
High14/Low1
Saturday
High9/Low3
Sunday
High10/Low2
The town plans to begin ticketing people who contravene a municipal bylaw prohibiting feeding deer. The fine is $100.
FLETCHER Building Supplies
222 Burton Ave.,Princeton
Open @ 7am Mon-Fri, 8:30 am Sat, 9am Sun
250-295-6938
email: info@fletcherace.com
EARLY SPRING PROMOTION
10%
Off
LAWNMOWERS
* If you find an identical item advertised locally at a lower price, we will match it! * Item must be identical and in stock. No rain cheques.