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Conservation officer responds to traumatic bear shooting in Trail Beetlestone followed with an example. The regional conservation officer After shooting the two bears (CO) says it’s the role of the entire in Sunningdale, he was called to community to rid neighbourhoods Rossland for a complaint about two of bear attractants because a two- bears eating fruit in a tree near a man office cannot take on every school. complaint. He questions why no one took And if neighbours don't ask action or said anything to the perneighbours to pick their fruit trees, son who left fruit on a tree in the use bear proof bins or keep garbage first place. secured indoors until pick up day, “People need to take on the then bears will keep getting shot. responsibility themselves until the Those words from public perception of Ben Beetlestone, these issues change,” “We are made out CO for the West he said, mentioning to be the bad guy, Kootenay region, bears are not put came on the heels down unless there is but why is no one of a incident last a history on the anicomplaining about week in Sunningdale mal. garbage being left where two bears “There was no were destroyed. aggressive behaviour out or fruit trees not He acknowledged (with the Rossland being picked.” the traumatic incibears), they were dent on Sept. 30 eating fruit in a tree BEN BEETLESTONE when it took three near the school.” shots to put down With a history one cub. now initiated, the bears' days could The small bruin shrieked after be numbered if nothing changes its mother was shot and killed, and and the bruins continue returning continued wailing until it too died to the food source. after being shot twice, then once at “So the community needs to close range. take on that person because once “I have had to put a lot of animals habituated, the bears are probably down in my 15 years,” Beetlestone going to stay,” he said. “So if fruit told the Trail Times Tuesday. “This is not ready, pick it anyway and buy was an extremely rare situation, some at the store. Take the hit for when it absorbed three shots before this year.” going down. And I've only seen it He reiterated when a bear happen with cubs,” he added. “But becomes a safety issue, conservapeople have to realize that (even tion has no choice but to pull the though) it took more than one trigger. shot, we did this as quickly and as “But the apple tree on the corner humanely as possible.” is your problem, so educate your Beetlestone says conservation neighbour,” added Beetlestone. officers become the scapegoat when Enforcement is also not the bears get killed. He points out, it's answer, he explained, because writpeople who leave out garbage and ing tickets does not lead to immeother attractants, who are ultimate- diate clean up of the delinquent ly responsible for the bears' demise. property. “We are made out to be the bad People can be fined $345 for guy, but why is no one complaining leaving out attractants, but they about garbage being left out or fruit have 30 days to dispute the ticket. trees not picked?” he queried. See BEARS, Page 2 BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
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Seniors advocate stops in Fruitvale BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
Fruitvale's Harold Walker took the opportunity to vent to B.C.'s Seniors Advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, and a crowd of about 60 seniors Tuesday morning. The special guest stopped into Fruitvale Memorial Centre to hear from Beaver Valley folks, who didn't shy away from the mike when the floor opened up to questions around the challenges seniors face today. “My mother is in Alberta in a care facility, my wife's parents are living at home still at 96 years old in Kamloops. So (my wife and I are) kind of in the middle of it,” Walker, who himself identifies as a senior, explained. His brother and sister-in-law are 75 years old and helping care for the elderly couple living in a suite off their home. The mother is bedridden, and her husband will not leave her side though his health his falling to the wayside. “My father-in-law is getting very depressed because he can't get out of the house; it's kill-
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B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie had coffee with Beaver Valley seniors and their families Tuesday morning at the Fruitvale Memorial Centre. Mackenzie discussed her role, a recent report and recommendations for system improvements relating to seniors’ housing in the province. Mackenzie spent half the time listening to residents’ concerns, providing answers when she could, and acknowledging complex issues local elderly face.
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ing him,” Walker continued. “He doesn't want to be relieved; he wants to be with her in case she dies. That's the only goal keeping him alive.” The heart breaking but heart warming truth of it is that's his choice. The unified message is seniors want their choices respected; Mackenzie said, even when it's not the choice we think they should be making. She broke down complex issues seniors are being dealt and added clear-cut explanations, which are being looked at by her office. “We come in with our clinical perspective, and we start looking at the number of falls and other high clinical indicators to determine whether a facility is of high quality,” she said. “When really what matters, the only indication of quality really is how satisfied are the people who are living there?” Her office is looking into just that via an inhouse survey on home support and residential care. See HOME, Page 5
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