HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-04-23, Page 3Spring bear hunt to
face court challenge
Kevin Connor
QM! Agency
Animal activists are up in arms and
heading to court to stop the province from
allowing a spring bear hunt they say will
leave orphaned cubs to die from
starvation.
Animal Alliance of Canada and Zoo -
check Canada are taking legal action in
response to Ontario government's intent
to reopen the spring hunt on May 1.
Among other arguments, the groups
say the hunt is a violation of the Criminal
Code of Canada which prohibits cruelty to
animals and is therefore illegal and
unconstitutional.
"The spring bear hunt is cruel. Bears
come out of hibernation and are
extremely hungry because they haven't
eaten all winter. They are attracted to
garbage food set out in bait piles by
hunters who want an assured k1117 said
Julie Woodyer, director of Zoocheck.
"Female bears hide the cubs before
approaching the bait site or kill zone.
Despite being illegal for hunters to kill
female bears with cubs, inevitably it
happens and orphaned cubs starve
Studies and police reports from north-
ern communities show that the spring kill
— which was banned in 1999 — doesn't
reduce the number of conflicts between
bears and humans, said Liz White, direc-
tor of the Animal Alliance.
"We agree that public safety for north-
ern residents is crucial, we don't agree that
the spring bear hunt is an effective way to
do that;' White said.
The limited spring hunt would take
place in areas with bear issues including
Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault
Ste. Marie and North Bay and would take
place between May 1 and June 15 in 2014
and 2015.
In the years since the cancellation of the
spring hunt, Ontario has only had a fall
bear hunting season.
"Public safety is paramount and Ontar-
ians should feel safe in their communities.
We have heard increasingly from some
northern Ontario municipalities that they
are concerned about public safety and
human -bear conflicts. in response, we are
taking action in a strategic way to address
the areas of highest incidence," David Ora-
zietti, the Minister of Natural Resources
said in a release.
The spring bear hunt has the support
of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of
Police.
"The increase in human -bear conflicts
in northern municipalities has put local
residents at risk and has created safety
concerns for police. This new provincial
proposal is a positive step towards
addressing this," said Paul Cook, president
of the OACP.
Zoocheck and the Animal Alliance have
a court date on April 29 in Toronto.
Hydro rates going up May 1
QMI Agency
Ontario electricity prices are on their
way up again.
As of May 1, there will be an increase in
time -of -use prices that will boost the aver-
age hydro customer's monthly cost by
$2.83, or $33.96 annually.
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) says
the jolt upwards in prices includes the
arrival of renewable or "green" electricity
generation over the next 12 months.
Hydro prices switch over to summer
hours on May 1 too.
That means a customer will get the
cheapest price for electricity — 7.5 cents
kW/h, up 0.3 cents — in the overnight
weekday hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and on
allweekends and holidays.
The cost to use electricity on week-
days between 7-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m.
will be 11.2 cents kW/h, also an increase
of 0.3 cents.
Consumers will pay the steepest price
for electricity, 13.5 cents kW/h, week-
days between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The on -peak power price is up 0.6
cents kW/h.
"Our goal is to promote a sustainable
and efficient energy sector that provides
consumers with reliable energy services
at a reasonable cost," the OEB said in a
statement.
The increase in the cost of electricity
comes on top of jumping natural gas
prices after along, hard winter.
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Wednesday, April 23, 2014 • Huron Expositor 3
POLICE BRIEFS
School bus driver
served with 3 -day
suspension
HOWICK - A school bus
driver has been served with a
3 -day suspension after Huron
County OPP received several
calls regarding some dangerous
driving on April 14.
Officers responded after
multiple traffic complaints of a
school bus traveling westbound
on Harriston Road in an erratic
manner, just after 4:30 p.m.
Witnesses say they observed
a school bus swerving outside
the marked lane, onto the
shoulder of the road, and
across the centre line into
oncoming traffic.
Police were able to safely
stop the school bus, which had
approximately ten elementary
aged students on board, on
Clyde Road in Bluevale.
After speaking with the male
driver, officers noted he had
been drinking alcohol.
A roadside test was com-
pleted and the driver registered
a warn range suspension,
meaning his results landed
within the range of .05 to .08.
The 50 -year-old driver from
Listowel lost his driving privi-
leges for three days.
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