Historical Lens Historical Lens

Wilmer resident says no ATVs in a national wildlife area

Dear Editor:

The Columbia National Wildlife area protects critical wetland and grassland areas that are crucial for wildlife habitat, including breeding and resting habitat for migratory birds. The Wilmer unit of the NWA is along the southern end of the Columbia wetlands. The area is protected under federal jurisdiction, which includes a prohibition of motorized vehicles in the area. Which is why it was more than dismaying to recently view ATV tracks in this protected area. Perhaps the rider is unaware of the protected status of the area. I would implore those responsible ATV users to educate their fellow riders. Information about this has been sent to Environment and Climate Change Canada and provincial authorities. We all need to do our part to respect the areas that are set aside for nature in our climate constrained world.

Karen Barkley, Wilmer, B.C.

Resident says people need to co-exist with animals, not destroy/relocate them

Dear Editor;

I have lived in Invermere for 55 years and I have never felt more upset about the wildlife I cherish. It is devastating that District of Invermere (DOI) continues to destroy wildlife - thoughtless, cruel and secretive!

Since 2011, DOI has killed about 132 deer – inhumanely, with no environmental, ethical and economic justification. Fourteen of the 50 “aggressive deer” killed recently were fawns. They are likely killing deer now. And now the turkeys have all but disappeared! Trappers from the Alberta Conservation Association (a society) were here with three baited traps – one at the south end of 8th Avenue. They had trapped 108 turkeys by Wednesday and were not finished. Our turkeys will try surviving in unfamiliar territory, in a harsh climate, on private ranch lands in Alberta. The society wrote that the project is a “population augmentation program”, needed after previous turkey translocations failed to provide sufficient “hunting opportunity”.

Like BC SPCA, I believe it is unethical and cruel to kill or translocate wildlife to benefit human needs over those of animals. We must respect wild animals for their inherent value, not just as a resource for people. Individual animals are important to the group. Individual harm and suffering is likely in every translocation. Co-existence with naturally stable populations is the only effective, humane way for us to live with nature.

Marie Pike

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Fresh old ideas

By Arnold Malone Pioneer Columnist

Arnold Malone served as MP for Alberta’s Battle River and Crowfoot ridings from 1974 through 1993. He retired to Invermere in 2007.

Putin’s miserable war imposed upon the innocent has raged on with wretched results. I have changed how I express this terrible event. I used to refer to the war as, ‘Russia’s war on Ukraine’. I now express it as, ‘Putin’s War’.

The ordinary people of Russia have no idea what is actually taking place. They know only that which the Kremlin’s propaganda offers. If ever a free press were allowed, the people of Russia would turn against their leaders with certain revenge.

Putin is not alone. Sergey Lavov, Putin’s minister of foreign affairs, is no better. There is a cluster of hard-liners close to Putin who are the masterminds of these awful actions. Any who speak out against the government’s actions have accidentally fallen from windows of high-rise buildings. There have been a few dozen of these so-called accidents.

For the most part this war has made life dreadful for the Ukrainian civilians. The international code of conduct for war is that soldiers and military equipment are fair game; civilians are not. By international standards this war – for multiple reasons - is a series of war crimes.

Of the long list of clauses that defines what constitutes a War Crime, the first three respecting civilians are: