Enough already.
Is there no one at the Capital Regional District capable of making a decision? More deer committees are a cop-out and a time waster. It is time the CRD, municipalities and the provincial government started doing what they were elected and paid to do. Continually referring issues deemed as difficult back to the electors is simply an abdication of responsibility.
There is no place for wildlife as large and intrusive as deer within urban areas, especially those parts of the CRD that are far from rural and forested areas. Those who say it is simply unfortunate that flowers are being eaten grossly understate the increasingly serious issue the deer have become.
Opponents to a cull simply do not give adequate consideration to the impact of deer on locally-produced crops or the city’s gardens, walkways or roads. Such routine damage and destruction of private property by humans would result in civil litigation, if not criminal charges.
Those who identify ICBC costs underestimate, too. No one seems to mention that there is a lot more to vehicle collisions than ICBC numbers. Damage to the vehicle and animal may be fairly easy to quantify – but what about the emotional and physical trauma on the people involved, directly and indirectly? Even the ICBC figures are understated because not all drivers carry “comprehensive” insurance.
The latest CRD report offers some interesting figures.
In August 2011, 30 deer/vehicle collisions were reported in Saanich alone (22 deer were killed outright). And of 389 submissions on the deer matter to the CRD, only 28 people (7.2 per cent) favoured doing nothing.
We need the CRD to make a decision – now.
Roberta McCarthy
Oak Bay