Mayor Young offered to personally take me to the storage yard to look at the pond levelers the city has purchased. Although the City has purchased the required materials, they do not have the experienced needed for a successful implementation. As such, I have recommended the City contact Skip Lisle. Mr. Lisle is an expert in the area of beaver management and has been hired by countless communities to design and implement various beaver management tools that do not harm the beaver, or jeopardize the safety of people in the community. Alternatively, the City can also contact Skip Hilliker at 860.267.0061 who will provide a free telephone consultation and can recommend achievable, and cost efficient alternatives to trapping.

The City quickly imposed a one year ban on trapping after a family dog was caught, squeezed and killed in a Conibear trap. I have requested Council extend the moratorium against trapping for an additional three years. The three year extension ensures the City commits to trying and assessing alternative methods and does not just give up and resort to killing out of frustration. Mayor Young told me the moratorium will not be extended due to the costs. I too was shocked to know that it costs more to let an animal live, but Mayor Young told me the City has incurred an additional cost of $70,000 to repair the damage caused by the beavers that they permitted to live. Apparently there was some flooding damage, and a tree fell on to someone’s car. I’m not sure if the beaver that felled the tree that caused extensive damage to a car was a genetic anomaly, but an average beaver will not chew down trees that she cannot carry back to her lodge. The $70,000 in additional costs works out to be approximately $1.27 per resident of Port Coquitlam. Although $1.27 may seem like a lot of money, it is a small price to pay in comparison to the cost of supporting animal cruelty or having a child have her leg crushed in a municipally endorsed trap.

Government trapping authorities recommend trappers and residents near traps carry a hacksaw blade with them at all times. The Conibear traps the City uses to drown beavers crush at an average rate of 90 pounds of pressure per square inch. Although that is enough force to snap a child’s leg, a grandmother can most likely save her wailing grandson’s leg if she saws quickly enough. Mayor Young has said the Province endorses the use of traps, but our own MLA Mike Farnworth has told me he prefers that beavers are live captured and relocated because it is an “effective, humane way of dealing with the issue”.

The City of Port Coquitlam website contains several disheartening statements, and until recently actually said, “the process of trapping and euthanizing beavers is not as humane as we’d like”. We elect members to Council with the understanding they will make decisions and implement changes that are best for the community. We don’t expect them to not like something and continue on doing it.

It’s unfortunate, but there are also several inaccuracies on the City website; the website states live capture is not permitted by the Provincial government. Just recently, Coquitlam Councilor Mae Reid announced the City of Coquitlam had successfully live captured and relocated some beavers. I asked City Operations Manager Ken Wright if the process was legal, and he confirmed it was permitted under provincial law as long as the City applied for a permit. I am not able to find any information that says Port Coquitlam has used live capture and relocation, but I assume that is because they did not have up to date information about Provincial laws and legislation.

Mayor Young has stated that the City only endorses setting traps and killing animals as a last resort. Unfortunately the City is thinking much like the communities did during the days of Baby Jessica. Everyone knew leaving exploration holes uncovered was dangerous and no matter how much people protested, municipalities still refused to incur the expense of ensuring the safety of residents. Of course, once a toddler fell into the hole and gathered global attention municipalities throughout the state began covering holes at a cost that was much higher than if they acted when the matter was first brought to their attention. The City has to decide if they want to implement safe and humane methods of beaver control before or after a child is seriously injured. There are numerous reports of children in other communities being injured in traps, and although were are still fortunate that local children haven’t yet been injured, the City continues to take unnecessary chances with the safety of our children each and every time they permit a trap to be set.

There are several humane and safe alternatives to trapping, and I again request Council extend the moratorium on trapping for an additional three years. During that time myself, members of the community, the City and wildlife experts will all work together to find a cost efficient, sustainable, and safe alternative to trapping. Our pets and our children depend on it.