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City council backs provincial proposal to bring back spring bear hunt

THUNDER BAY -- The city wants to see an expanded spring bear hunt in the region. City council overwhelmingly voted Monday night to show support for the province's proposal to expand a spring hunt across Ontario for a five-year pilot project.
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Judy mayor made one of three deputations opposing the spring bear hunt (Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- The city wants to see an expanded spring bear hunt in the region.

City council overwhelmingly voted Monday night to show support for the province's proposal to expand a spring hunt across Ontario for a five-year pilot project. It would also allow non-resident hunters to take part. The idea is in the midst of a 30-day consultation period.

Coun. Linda Rydholm and Coun. Trevor Giertuga, both of whom represent rural wards, told council about their experiences with nuisance bears as part of the reason they support the plan.

"They're getting closer and closer," Giertuga said.

"They're getting more accustomed to people."

Coun. Iain Angus said the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association has been lobbying the province for years to bring back the spring bear hunt. Even if bears weren't an issue in Thunder Bay, the city needs to show its support for smaller municipalities around the region asking for help.

"It is they who have faced the realities of the cancellation,” he said.

But Coun. Shelby Ch'ng, one of only two to vote against the idea, said it's the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry that should be helping. Ministry cuts have led to the problem in the first place.

"I don’t think it's right to cut jobs in the MNR and then say 'people in the south come up here and shoot the bears and do our jobs',” Ch'ng said.

Before making the decision to support the province, council heard several deputations from people opposed to the plan.

Judy Mayor pointed to the province's environmental commissioner, who recently criticized the government's smaller spring pilot project last year, as part of the reason it shouldn't be expanded.

"It's bad policy founded on bad science," she said.

"The spring bear hunt is both unethical and barbaric.”

Rita Komendant said by opposing the expanded hunt, council could show itself as a progressive city that would rather use the region for eco-tourism rather than sport hunting. Bears are just waking up from hibernation in the spring. Luring them with a bait box while tired and hungry is nothing short of slaughter she said.

Komendant didn't want to see Thunder Bay move backwards on the issue .

"The world has changed since those last spring bear hunts,” she said.





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