I would like to share with you some thoughts from the community. As I realize your reporters are reporting on things that are brought up at a city council meeting of which most community members do not attend. The biggest reason I’m writting you is in regard to the reduction of wildlife in the Elk Valley because people can’t enjoy their gardens and that the deer are aggressive. This is factually incorrect and furthermore is the wrong direction we should be heading as people who are trying to conserve our beautiful province.
What kind of message are we sending to a young person who reads the material? The fact is we have had unusually cool weather that has left a significant snow pack in the upper portions of the Elk Valley restricting the natural movement of the wildlife though their natural corridors of migration. With the climate changing our friends in the bush are being forced into areas inhabited by humans. At this time most of these animals are giving birth to young and are seeking a protective environment free from predators that are frequenting the same areas as they are restricted to their movement with the snow pack as well. I would rather see the facts printed in the paper not just some opinion of an ill-informed council member who is detached from what the community really feels. I understand that Cranbrook and Kimberly have instituted a program to reduce the deer population but you know what, we dont want or need it here in the Elk Valley. What happens when the elk start to come into people’s yards, are we going to kill all of them too? Oh wait we already kill everything that comes into our precious little community. What happened to living in harmony with the environment? Not how I was taught growing up.
By all means post this on your website or print it in your paper and see what you get for feedback from the community.
I think there are a lot of us who are less than impressed about the handling of the situation.
Oh I forgot to mention- Elkford wildlife capital of Canada (unless we see deer in our town and we will kill it cause it eats our flowers and is mean and dangerous).
Ben Clarke
Elkford