Vancouver Park Board votes in favour of banning the feeding of wildlife in parks
The Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously Monday night to ban the feeding of wildlife in city parks.
The recommended rules, which may now come with a $500 fine, were presented to commissioners from the general manager of the Vancouver Park Board. The suggestion came after access to Stanley Park was limited for weeks following a series of coyote attacks on adults and children.
"Human feeding of wildlife interferes with normal foraging, hunting and population numbers. It is physically unhealthy for animals, and encourages food-conditioning that can lead to aggressive behaviour," the recommendation to the park board said.
"While the B.C. Wildlife Act includes provisions against feeding 'dangerous wildlife,' provincial enforcement resources are stretched, and the restrictions do not extend to other urban wildlife."
Previously, the local park board's bylaws regarding feeding wildlife were nearly non-existent. The rule said people can't "deposit food or grain on any area in a park except in litter cans provided by the board for the purpose of receiving garbage and litter." Where garbage cans aren't provided, park guests must take litter with them.
Instead, the general manager recommended adding a section that specifically targets feeding wildlife, similar to what's in the province's Wildlife Act. One difference in the proposal, however, was to remove "dangerous" from the description, and broaden the rules to all wildlife.
In spite of Monday's vote, the issue of enforcement is still up in the air. Provincial conservation officers can hand out tickets, but local park rangers don't have authority to ask for identification to issue fines. The board plans to meet again next week to discuss enforcement options.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.