FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Dec. 19, 2013
SIMCOE – One of the last pieces of business before Queen’s Park wound down for Christmas was passing the second reading of legislation that will bring the spring bear hunt back on a limited basis.
Bill Mauro’s Private Member’s Bill would allow a two-year pilot spring hunt near major municipalities in the north where there is a problem with nuisance bears.
“I supported this legislation because I have long believed the spring bear hunt should return to Ontario,” said MPP Toby Barrett. “Allowing municipalities to decide if there is a spring hunt is a good solution – in fact it’s one that was approved at this fall’s PC policy convention. However, it should go further and not just be restricted to a few municipalities as this bill proposes.”
Barrett was cautious if bear hunters would ever be returning to tree stands in the spring though after the legislation passes third reading, or if this was just a Government seat-saver program.
“The truth of the matter is that even if the House adopts this Private Member’s Bill, I don’t believe anything will happen,” said Barrett’s colleague and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. “This government has neglected the north for the past decade, ignored its voice and would never do anything substantive to deal with the issue.”
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For more information contact
MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446