When I started reading the Feb. 6 editorial on the deer cull I thought that it would not be biased. It wasn’t but it did hold some questionable comments, especially about the mayor being the brunt of the anti-cull persons.
Firstly, the mayor is the only person from Oak Bay municipality who comments, and often times his comments are incorrect. The fear mongering attitude is wrong especially when it comes to safety and health. Car/deer incidents were far less in number than he has said. Not a single person has been attacked by a deer on Vancouver Island.
The mayor has stated time and again that all the suggestions from the province have been met. That is untrue. Where was the public consultation?
When there are knowledgable persons and groups decrying the cull and offering non-lethal options, the mayor will not listen. The mayor has constantly said the cull will be humane, yet in the RFP it allows a deer to bleed out if the gun misfires. How humane is that?
The mayor plans to have the culling done in secret with no witnesses save the contractor. To me that smells of cruelty. Yes the mayor gets the flack but deservedly so. As far as this being forgotten once the traps are put away, I don’t think so. People who oppose cruelty do not forget and yes, as admitted by the mayor, this cull will not be a one time event.
Mrs Ann Passmore
Oak Bay