Editor:
Councillor Anne Marie De Andrade’s proposed bylaw to curtail feline (and rabbit etc.) freedom places its foundation on protection of the biosphere. If that were a serious concern for the Town of Gibsons, something would have been done to protect the town’s trees where developments large and small have stripped Gospel Rock, hillsides and swaths of land for residential development. Crucial nesting grounds have been destroyed. The much lauded and award winning “natural asset” term has been used proudly while nature has been sacrificed for developers. Gibsons Harbour that was a sanctuary for heron, ducks, geese and other shore birds now appears to be more the home of the unrelenting and proud seagull. And take-all high-density development has always threatened and is still planned for this crucial area. The case to be made for a healthy Gibsons’ biosphere is late in coming, long ignored by the Town of Gibsons. Does affordable housing negate the biosphere? Will the high-density, over-height George improve the biosphere?
Nanaimo’s cat bylaw depends on complaint driven feline control. Is a bylaw necessary? Most people are able to communicate with each other, neighbour to neighbour if they have a problem. Saving birds is a high priority for me but I stand for all animal rights before human intervention.
I ask for cat-awareness campaigns that promote ways to keep cats safe from predators, suggesting leashing, “cones of shame” to limit their ability to kill birds and mindfulness during nesting and fledgling season, using Temptations to lure the cat in, and complaint-driven maintenance.
A person in uptown Gibsons trapped six rats in their small, well-kept garden. Please consider actions to research and control the rat situation and long-term preservation and restoration of natural habitat.
Rosa Reid, Gibsons
