The Town of Gibsons set a precedent at its Aug. 2 council meeting by adopting a bylaw banning the use of animal traps and, in the process, is the first community in Canada to pass a bylaw this encompassing.
The bylaw will see a ban on body-gripping traps, including the Conibear, leg-hold and snare varieties, and carries a maximum fine of $1,000.
The only exception to the bylaw is the allowance for conservation officers to set traps for reasons of public safety. However, conservation will be asked to inform the Town on trap locations as well as send an alert when an animal is caught. Trap warning signage will also be posted.
The Vancouver-based Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals collaborated with Sechelt resident Vicki Starfire, who created Concerned Citizens of the Sunshine Coast in a public relations effort the past few months when Starfire's dog was caught in a leg-hold trap while out for a walk in Sechelt in April.
The two groups appeared as a delegation at local governmental meetings in an effort to ban the traps on the Coast.
Lesley Fox, executive director for the association said the Town's decision has paved the way for other communities across Canada.
"Nowhere on the books in Canada do we have an example of a complete anti-trapping bylaw like this," said Fox. "Gibsons has laid out some pretty extensive criteria, in terms of signage and reporting, and nowhere else have I seen that."
Fox said her organization plans on using Gibsons as a model for other communities interested in banning traps.
"This is such a useful tool for us in moving forward," she said. "When we approach other communities, we can give them an example of existing legislation. The fact that Gibsons has taken the time to go through the legal process of how this can be implemented, it just makes it so easy for any community to quickly understand what a ban looks like."
In addition to the dog incident, a pet cat was recently caught in a trap on private property in Lower Gibsons, causing even more concern.
Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk referred to the adoption of the bylaw as logical.
"What are we doing having to enact this stuff in the 21st century? It just seems to be so darn obvious. I don't know why some community didn't do it before us," said Janyk.
As for bans on the rest of the Coast, the District of Sechelt is continuing to research the matter, while the Sunshine Coast Regional District, that lacks the legal authority to implement a bylaw, is lobbying the provincial government for greater trapping restrictions and is hoping to bring the matter to the attention of other communities at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September.
