It never seems to end.
We wonder what it is, exactly, that has so many locals and visitors alike feeling they can ignore whatever bylaws, fire bans, speed limits, wildlife recommendations, etc. they so choose?
It’s becoming abundantly clear that locals constantly ignore bear and wildlife closures, for example, and one wonders if all the visitors who are being charged for all manner of municipal, provincial and federal infringements do so at home as well?
As it is, grizzly bear 148 was recently located out of the valley to northwest Alberta, partially due to run-ins with people who simply wouldn’t stay out of the Quarry Lake area during prime berry season – despite closures.
Whether 148 lives or dies in her new home is likely now in the hands of fate.
And now we have a Calgary man charged with letting his off leash dog chase grizzly 104 and her cubs in Kananaskis Country. Are people not aware that often, once the initial thrill of the chase wears off for a dog, they run back to their owner for protection – with that same bear on its heels?
And now we have a bull elk killed after a run-in with a jogger at the Banff rec grounds, and another which may be for its aggressive behaviour. This is yet another example of humans in wildlife areas causing problems.
At this point it’s not clear if the humans involved in these situations were at fault, but it is now the elk rutting season and bull elk are aggressive. These would be the same type of bull elk an Outlook staffer saw hanging out at Millennium Field on the weekend, with numerous people and their dogs (on leash, thankfully) hanging out far too closely to them.
We also now have fines in the hundreds and thousands of dollars range for lighting fires in closure areas and the suspicion that another fire was lit in the Lake Louise area.
What the ..?
Where could people be living that they haven’t heard about fire bans across Alberta and B.C.? Is that even possible given the extensive media coverage – everywhere, across all mediums – about forest fires this summer?
Being that we haven’t had substantial rainfall in weeks, a situation worsened by higher than normal temperatures, and that everything seems tinder-dry, how can there still be people lighting fires?
We realize this space lately has been too frequently relegated to comment on these same issues – and if you’re tired of reading about these issues, know that we’re tired of reporting on these same issues as well – but seriously, when/how/will this ignoring of rules and regulations and bylaws and laws ever end?
Massive enforcement efforts? Mind-boggling fines? A death or two?
On the other hand, things don’t seem so bad when you read the page five story about Blair Brown.
While things often seem goofy or of hyper importance on our local front, everything happening here, much like during our 2013 flood or the Fort McMurray fire, now pales in comparison to what Texans like Brown are suffering through.
Yup, it’s bad that someone thoughtlessly lit a fire during a fire ban, but at least (we’ll assume) they have a home to go home to.
We’ll give a Lone Star kudo to Brown for following through on his commitment to judge drumming at the Canmore Highland Games, despite the fact his home life was in compete disarray thanks to Hurricane Harvey.
