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Back to Home Letters - March 8, 2012

Letters: Mar 8

Re: Gray Rat Snake, Randy Hillier, MPP

Support for Conservative Party, Edward Kennedy

Plowing on Long Lake Road, Ken McKegney, Faye Putnam

Re: Census results should be a wake up call, Larry Chairot

Correction Re: Old Age Security, Scott Reid, MP

Disabilities, Wendy Drew

Facetime, Ken Fisher

Gray Rat Snake Protection Doesn’t Have a Leg to Stand On 

Recently, the Ontario Ministry of Natural resources (MNR) proposed new regulations to protect the gray rat snake. These regulations include three levels of exclusion zones around the snakes’ habitat reaching out as far as one kilometre from their known haunts. And just in case if you forgot how the MNR works, these regulations will restrict or prevent what you can do on your private property without compensation if a gray rat snake is found within 1000 meters of your land.

But what many people don’t know is the way that the MNR determines whether a species should be protected or not. A committee, all of whose members receive handsome per diems, looks at five criteria to determine whether a species in Ontario should be protected. However the committee and MNR do no research or studies themselves, but rely on information provided by the federal government.

They look to see whether (A) the population is in decline, (B) the species range is less than 20,000 km², (C) the population is small and in decline, (D) the population is small and restricted or (E) a quantitative analysis has been done showing the necessity of protection. If any of those five criteria are met, an animal will receive extra protection.

And what criterion did the gray rat snake meet?

Well, the MNR has not done any studies of the gray rat snake population, but according to their 2002 estimate there were between 20,000 and 85,000 snakes in the Frontenac Arch. Apparently, the population hasn’t been declining, so we can scratch off A. Also, the snake population wasn’t too small or restricted, according to the committee, so we can toss out C and D. And they haven’t completed a quantitative analysis for criterion E, so what does that leave?

Well, criterion B. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources a species with an occurrence or range of less than 20,000 km² in the Province of Ontario is considered to be endangered. So let’s put that into context here. Remember the last time you went to Toronto and thought the city was so darned big. Well imagine that 32 times over. If that’s too urban for you, imagine Cape Breton Island – twice over – as being an area too small. We should note that the committee didn’t consider the gray rat snake’s abundance in the eastern and central United States in that 20,000 km².

After the do-nothing, per diem committee has determined that the animal should be protected, the MNR goes out for public consultation. What an oxymoron, at best, a sham at worst. Any citizen is permitted, at this point, to give their input into the regulations through the EBR process, so as to maximize the regulations’ effectiveness and limit their intrusiveness. But when our bureaucrats finally do ask the public to comment upon the proposals, the public isn’t provided with any of the documentation used to make the decision. In fact the documentation is essentially hidden from our view.

When we craft regulations – even a regulation to protect a snake – we ought to identify whether the legislation might solve a demonstrable problem. If a regulation is necessary, it must achieve its goal while also taking into consideration the potential impact on an individual’s livelihood.

The protections on the gray rat snake, as far as the evidence released suggests, do not solve a demonstrable problem; however, these regulations can have the effect of eliminating the value and enjoyment of the property of thousands of law-abiding people.

The gray rat snake’s protection doesn’t have a leg to stand on, neither does its bureaucracy.

Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington

Support for Conservative Party

Writers Lovelace and McGrath (Letters, February 23/12) raise salient points that I applaud. C-68 was a useless law targeting law-abiding hunters and ignored Police chiefs association support of C-68 is a testimonial that these police chiefs are shy in the loafers. Billions wasted until CPC did right in killing the thing. RCMP used the draconian legislation to ban/seize and steal legally registered long guns without compensation.

Professor Lovelace, by opposing erasing personal information, supports nanny state criminality; that info was used by criminals enabling them to identify/target/steal registered firearms.

I agree that closing prison farms was a bad decision but if that is the only error the CPC makes, they are a hundred times better than either the "dippers" and the "lieberals".

Forget more prisons, but make rape, murder, pedophilia, human trafficking, kidnapping, drug trafficking, pimping etc. punishable by death.

I agree that we have a swollen police forces; proof is when these out of area keystone cops come to our township running seat belt blitzes that are just tax collecting schemes. They have more important things to do than steal money from grannies who forgot to fasten their seatbelts while travelling from Sharbot Lake to see grandpa in the KGH, who suffered a cardiac. I know a well-respected community member who ran off the road years ago and rolled his car. He was uninjured, and when police came, he was asked if he was wearing his seatbelt ...being an honest man, he answered no, whereupon he was immediately charged. Wrecked car, could have been killed, and all the idiot in blue could think of was to charge the unfortunate driver. No wonder so many grass roots people not only disrespect but despise the police.

Both writers demonstrate chronic ignorance when they say they care about fellow human beings while inferring that Conservatives do not. What party, for decades, opposed the raising of the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16? ALL parties except the CPC. What party legalized open season on innocent unborn babies in 1969 under "trudeau"?

C-68, it was imposed by Chretien and his cronies, with some help from tax funded gunaphobic lobbyists. Lieberals mandated abortion. Lieberals in a very cowardly and sneaky way legalized swingers clubs. Why do dissenters target good politicians while ignoring villains in society and the other parties whose sins are innumerable? Could it be the writers are prejudiced (gasp) against "Conservatives"? Keep on trucking Scott, the election results demonstrate that your critiques are away out in the far backfield all by their lonesome selves. You are doing a fine job, there has not nor will there be a political opponent that will have enough skin to make a toe warmer for you. I am proud of you.

Edward Kennedy

Plowing on Long Lake Road

We would like to compliment the way Long Lake Road and the intersections have been plowed this year. It seems like Justin Tryon has been one of the regulars on the plow by our place, and we have to say he has done a great job. He is very careful to remove snow at the intersections, making it safe for approaching vehicles. We realize we have not had the snow like other years, but we are not getting snow piled on our property from the Ducharme and Long Lake Road intersection like other years. Way to go Justin and others.

Ken McKegney, Faye Putnam

Re: Census results should be a wake up call

If I remember correctly, about four years ago a young man, after spending many thousands of dollars (as requested by Central Frontenac Council) in order to build a townhouse/condominium development that would have provided permanent housing IN Sharbot Lake, was effectively told to pack his bags and leave, by this very same CF Council. I say this kind of leadership and foresight by CF Council should be applauded and remembered every election year!

Larry Chiarot

Correction Re: Old Age Security

I am writing to clarify some incorrect information contained in Ellanora Meeks’ letter that was published on March 1. Ms. Meeks was concerned about changes to the Old Age Security program but mistakenly identified Bill C-25 as being a bill that “talks about increasing the retirement age to 67.” This is incorrect because nothing in the bill deals with OAS at all. Bill C-25 creates a new voluntary pension mechanism called a “Pooled Registered Pension Plan” that will be available to folks who might not otherwise have a pension from their employer. Regarding the age of retirement, our Conservative government has been very clear: Nobody who is currently getting OAS and nobody who is anywhere near retirement will see any changes. It just wouldn’t be fair to renege on the promise that has been made to Canada’s seniors.

Scott Reid, MP

Disabilities

There are many different types of disabilities in life and people can't help it if they have one. Some are short term and then there are some disabilities you have for life. I would like everybody to know that people should not be judged by their disability. I consider people with disabilities to be unique in their own way. I began working as a summer student with disabled people and I still up until 2010 was employed with the disabled population. I love to help people and be there to support them in any way. People have to remember that nobody is perfect and they never will be. I have two friends who are disabled and I do not think any differently of them. We laugh & joke with each other and have lots of good times.

What I am getting at is people should not be treated differently just because they have a disability.

Wendy Drew

Facetime

You get facetime with your neighbours at the post office, you get facetime with your neighbours at church. But Facetime with your neighbours on a Saturday night, with live music, dinner and dancing at the Country Inn, well that’s just so fine! Since last June, there have been about a dozen music nights. Each is paired with a wonderful meal. Tonight it was Searson, a very talented Celtic women's trio. While we have only been two, the word on the street about the ones we miss, is always one of high praise and great enjoyment. The Whites, Sandra, Frank and their three daughters evoke the uplifting community spirit that they enjoy in Newfoundland. Sharbot Lake is changing. It’s on the move - with live music and fabulous hospitality. Thank you, Sharbot Lake Country Inn.

Ken Fisher