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Keith Edwards
Aquarium makes waves with expansion plans
Letter
Published: Monday, September 18, 2006
I disagree with the proposal to expand the Vancouver Aquarium without a binding vote. It is undemocratic and a great disservice to the people who live here to have this continual invasion of Stanley Park.
I am unsettled by comments from aquarium public relations manager Brenda Jones, implying that people would like the animals to get "larger, more diverse habitats." This is not encouraging; the aquarium's history shows that a larger pool only means room for more marine mammals. Her comment that "we don't have immediate plans for bringing in other animals" is no assurance that they will not in the future.
What is the aquarium worried about if the public had a vote? To me, the "gem" of Vancouver is Stanley Park -- not the scar of death and incarceration of the aquarium.
Keith Edwards
Vancouver
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
Lynne DeCew
Aquarium makes waves with expansion plans
Letter
Published: Monday, September 18, 2006
Kudos for your fair and informed editorial. It's truly refreshing to read a fact-based commentary about the aquarium, one that recognizes its value to our city, and the absurd political environment in which it's forced to operate.
And shame on the Vancouver park board, panicked by a handful of noisy zealots whose ultimate goal is to destroy an aquarium that in other cities would be treated as a civic treasure. My only hope is that the people of Vancouver will disregard the headline-grabbing statements of Allan de Genova, Loretta Woodcock and a few fanatics, and instead take the time to find out for themselves what the aquarium is proposing. Get involved in the public consultation. Look at the plans, get the facts, give your feedback -- but don't let the future of the aquarium be decided by a few animal rights extremists and vote-grubbing politicians.
Lynne DeCew
Vancouver
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
Letter
Published: Monday, September 18, 2006
Re: Aquarium's plans to expand are awash in park board bafflegab, Editorial, Sept. 13
Two points in this editorial astonished me.
First is the editorial board's contempt for democratic processes -- equating a referendum with "mob rule," as in "mob rule is not the way to conduct a productive discussion on the proposal." Does the editorial board feel similar disdain for settling who governs by means of more "mob rule" (that is, more voting)?
Second, it's evident the editorial board has no understanding of the role of private consultants. Consultants are generally brought in to bolster the position that the folks hiring them wish to have accepted. This sounds cynical, but two aphorisms come to mind: "He who pays the piper calls the tune" and "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." In this case, the hand is attached to the Vancouver Aquarium, and, to mix metaphors completely, they're tootling on the pipes as well. Park board members were right to disassociate themselves from a consulting process paid for by the organization with a pre-determined agenda, a process that could never be seen as neutral or objective.
Pat Davitt
Vancouver
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
Letter
Published: Monday, September 18, 2006
Why not allow the aquarium to improve conditions for the animals and their visitors by expanding? I know first-hand what the aquarium does to make the environment a better place, and that reach extends far beyond the borders of Stanley Park. The aquarium is responsible for organizing nearly 50,000 Canadians each year to clean the shorelines across our nation for the benefit of wild animals. Let's also not forget about its Marine Mammal Rescue Program, which rehabilitates and releases hundreds of animals, or its incredible contribution to original science and innovative research.
Angela Coelho
Burnaby
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
Elaine Pope
Aquarium makes waves with expansion plans
Letter
Published: Monday, September 18, 2006
It is disturbing that the Vancouver Aquarium is proposing further expansion. In 1993, Vancouver residents voted in a referendum it close the Stanley Park Zoo, with the growing knowledge that keeping animals in captivity for human entertainment is far from acceptable. With this recently proposed expansion of the Vancouver Aquarium, I wonder if we are headed for an eventual SeaWorld-like venue such as San Diego's. Where does it stop? Is the ongoing aquarium revitalization project not enough?
Being ready in time for the 2010 Olympics seems simply another excuse to push through more development.
Elaine Pope
North Vancouver
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
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edmontonsun.com
Mon September 18, 2006 www.edmontonsun.com
Mon, September 18, 2006
A perfect match, dog gone it
Putting the right pet with the right owner is the goal of shelters
By ANNE HOWLAND
"I enjoy long walks and snuggling in front of the TV. Kids are okay, but I'm not keen on cats. With a little work, I could be your ideal companion."
Something out of the personal ads, perhaps?
Actually, it's just as likely to be the description of a dog up for adoption at the local animal shelter.
And if you're interested, take note: your personality, lifestyle and background will also be carefully screened before you can walk away with the dog of your dreams.
Purchasing a pet - whether from a breeder, a pet store or an animal shelter - has come a long way since the days of the doggie in the window. With increased awareness of animal welfare issues, buyers are encouraged to know as much about the dog - and themselves - as possible.
At the Ottawa Humane Society, there have been many changes to the adoption process over the past 10 years, says Sharon Miko, outreach manager.
"One of the first changes was a comprehensive program of matching the owner to the dog to make sure it's a good fit," says Miko.
"Ten years ago, not as much was invested in the pre-adoption process because the goal was to adopt out as many as possible because we had so many dogs."
But frequent mismatches meant many dogs were returned.
With the new procedures, returns have dropped significantly and, coupled with an upswing in responsible ownership, fewer dogs are waiting for adoption, Miko says.
Financially strapped shelters and rescue organizations across the country have made similar changes to the adoption process.
The idea was to reduce the number of dogs in the kennels and find better homes for the animals that are adopted.
UNIQUE PROCESS
At the OHS, the process is particularly stringent. The society is unique in its closed adoption wards, Miko says, where people are not allowed to visit the dogs in their kennels. This cuts down on disease transmission and stress among the animals, while also preventing "heartstring adoptions," she adds.
"People are emotionally drawn and they don't think about what's involved with a specific dog," Miko says.
Instead, the OHS posts photos of available dogs and a brief description in the lobby and on-line. Interested adopters must review a five-page temperament assessment form on the animal and fill out a questionnaire detailing their own situation. Once a staff member has reviewed the information, dog and adopter meet in a private room.
Ottawa's Lori Irwin heard about a Newfoundland-type dog at the OHS, and was interested because she liked the breed.
"My first surprise was seeing how busy it was (at the OHS)," she says, adding she had been in 10 years earlier to adopt a pet. "It used to be that you could just go in and pick what you want and go home. Now it's a more personal experience. Not only do they want the dog to fit you, they want you to fit the dog."
After going through the process with her whole family, Irwin took 11-week-old Riley home to his new townhouse.
"I was nervous because I thought, am I going to pass?" Irwin recalls. "They don't just give a pet to anyone."
MATCHMAKERS
Sometimes, a potential match is deemed unsuitable.
"There's public resistance (to the process) because people assume they can walk out with a dog if they have the money," Miko says.
That's exactly what people can do at many pet stores selling animals.
"Unfortunately, sales of dogs and cats in pet stores are still very strong, despite increased awareness of puppy mills, which are a huge problem in Quebec and Ontario," says Tanya O'Callaghan, communications co-ordinator with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.
More often than not, the doggie in the window is the product of a puppy mill, which the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals describes as "a breeding operation in which dogs are repeatedly bred for financial gain and are kept in substandard conditions.
Puppy mill dogs are often confined to small cages for their entire lives and commonly suffer from various infections and parasites."
The CFHS does not recommend buying a puppy from a pet store, unless the store has a relationship with a local shelter, O'Callaghan says.
Not only do people tend to buy on impulse, but it's also impossible to know anything about where the dog came from, its medical history or possible temperament. Plus, for every cute puppy bought at a pet store, many others are kept in puppy mill conditions.
For some people, a trip to the breeder seems like the safest way to purchase a dog. With a purebred, it's possible to know how big the dog will get, what sort of temperament it will have, and what medical conditions it is at risk for.
However, finding a good breeder is not always easy, O'Callaghan says.
Plus, she adds, you can never be sure what you're going to get in a puppy, purebred or no.
Puppy mill operators and "backyard breeders" can also take advantage of Internet sites offering fake registration papers for about $10, O'Callaghan says.
TIPS OF TRADE
The CFHS offers the following tips for sniffing out problems:
1. Questionable registries are for-profit companies, while most of the large kennel clubs and valid registries are not-for-profit organizations.
2. Questionable registries do not require proof of pedigree. Some will register any dog of any breed, as long as the owners say they are certain of the breed. Others will even register "new breeds" or mixed breeds such as cockapoos (cocker spaniel and poodle mixes). A few may request a photograph of the dog as the only proof of breed.
3. Many questionable registries cater to puppy mills, and offer discounts for "commercial kennels."
4. Questionable registries usually do not have codes of ethics, or standards by which members and registrants must abide.
BUYER'S GUIDE
Dogs sold as purebred must be registered with the Canadian Kennel Club, the Canadian Border Collie Association, Canine Federation of Canada, Working Canine Association of Canada or Canadian Livestock Records Corporation. The CKS offers the following tips on buying:
1. Always visit the kennel.
2. Make certain the dam (mother) is on the premises and available for you to see.
3. Ask to see health certificates and records of visits to the veterinarian.
4. Insist upon being provided with a signed bill of sale stating the puppy is being sold as a purebred.
5. Insist upon being provided with a written guarantee.
6. Confirm that the dog has been permanently and uniquely identified.
7. Confirm CKC registration of the parents, the litter and the puppy you are about to purchase.
8. Ask if the breeder is a member of the CKC.
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Barking up right tree is important
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Your Vancouver Sun
Avalon owner vows to keep B.C.'s oldest dairy a family-run business
'Money's not everything' says founder's grandson on 100th anniversary
With a backdrop of dairy cows, a Shriners band performs at Avalon dairy's 100th anniversary.
With a backdrop of dairy cows, a Shriners band performs at Avalon dairy's 100th anniversary.
Wency Leung, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, September 18, 2006
VANCOUVER - Lee Crowley, owner of Avalon Dairy Ltd., has seen numerous dairy operators sell out or abandon their businesses over the years.
But as the grandson of the founder of B.C.'s oldest dairy, which celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Crowley said he's determined Avalon will remain a private, family-owned dairy for generations to come.
"My father said he'd never sell the place, and I guess my father and I are very much alike.
Money's not everything."
His refusal to sell has made Avalon one of the last remaining independently owned dairies in the region.
To mark its 100th anniversary, Avalon on Sunday held an open-house fair attended by hundreds of neighbours, long-time customers and family friends.
The dairy began operating after Crowley's grandfather, Jeremiah Crowley, settled in the area, relocating from Newfoundland during the gold rush.
The dairy remains at its original location, in what is now a dense residential area near
Killarney Park on Wales Street. Most of the milk it processes comes from a farm on Barnston Island.
Lee Crowley said he grew up in the old house that now is the dairy's office, recalling the days it was surrounded by farmland.
Crowley said that, over the years the property has shrunk to one acre -- less than half its original size -- as the city developed around it.
But since he took over in 1975, Avalon has gone from producing about $85 worth of milk products per day to about $1-million worth of products per month. It supplies milk products as far away as Winnipeg and the Northwest Territories.
Much of Avalon's recent growth is due to its launch of certified organic milk products about seven years ago, when it caught the early wave of demand for organic food, Crowley said.
"We're the first ones to go into it. It's turned out to be a very, very successful venture," he said.
More than 65 per cent of the dairy's products are now certified organic. Avalon is looking to expand further, with plans to build a new $10-million facility near Marine Way, just to keep up with demand. Crowley said he hopes to break ground at the new plant in November, but will keep the existing property.
Avalon has survived some hard times in the industry, Crowley said. "There used to be 50 dairies in Vancouver in the 1950s. Now there's one--that's us. That tells you how tough it is."
The rising value of land, combined with higher operation costs, put many dairies out of business, he said. In addition, large processors such as Dairyland acquired many others.
Crowley said he has received numerous offers for Avalon over the years, and turned a bid down just last week. "To be very rich, to sell your property, then what? What's the next generation going to do?" he said. "We can't all be space pilots. Somebody's got to be producing some food."
He said he hopes one of his four children will inherit the business when he's ready to pass it on.
Norm Low, the dairy's production manager, has worked for the dairy for nearly 29 years.
"I was hired when I was basically a kid," Low said, adding he lived in the neighbourhood and was hired when he was about 19. "They needed help and I just applied because I needed some income."
The customers, too, have stuck with the dairy over the years.
Susan Ross, 77, who attended the anniversary celebration, said she has been living near the dairy for about 50 years and has been a customer for about as long. "It has a great heritage," she said.
wleung@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006