As Christmas nears in the Bow Valley, we’d like to encourge everyone to chip in to make the season a festive one for everyone.
Our Bow Valley is often viewed from outside as a place for “haves” while the reality of life here is that, like anywhere else, there are also “have nots,” to whatever degree.
Certainly, not everyone is on the same financial footing in this valley, which is why support of Santa’s Anonymous and the Christmas Spirit Campaign are vitally important at this time of year.
Corporate Bow Valley has certainly swung into action, with Brewster’s Stuff the Bus, Canadian Tire Christmas Cheer truckload of goods, the LaPage Food Drive and all manner of other donations and volunteer efforts large and small (and too numerous to mention).
Still, though, quality food items are still needed for food bank hampers (do ensure anything you donate is appropriately date stamped) and toys are always needed, particularly for older children who tend to be overlooked as needing a gift.
If lending a hand rather than opening your wallet is more your style, no problem, contact one of the Christmas support agencies and volunteer even a small amount of your valuable time for some hamper packing or sorting.
At this time of year, your help, your giving, your donations, your community spirit can all make a difference in ensuring that everyone in this valley has a happy holiday.
Oftentimes, it is in looking outward that we find inner happiness.
More than a wrist slap
It’s good to see that our court system took a hard line with an Edson poacher who shot a grizzly sow and her cub out of season a couple of years ago (page 36).
Putting Frank Kucher behind bars for five months, along with a $10,000 fine and a nine-year ban on hunting for flaunting Wildlife Act laws is the kind of message that needs to be glaringly sent more often.
The penalty imposed on Kucher is harsh enough that, should enough media coverage be put out there, it could actually cause a wrong-doer to reconsider breaking wildlife laws and taking the chance of similar punishment.
Here in the Bow Valley, the court judgement comes on the heels of an off-leash dog being suspected of possibly fatally injuring a bighorn sheep in Kananaskis Country.
Now, we’re not saying that allowing a dog to run at large and chase or injure wildlife should be a prison offence, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt if wildlife managers were able to charge, and make charges stick, in relation to dogs being off-leash.
There have been many instances over the years, including as nearby as Quarry Lake in Canmore, where dogs off-leash have led to the death of our wildlife – in the case of Quarry, a moose that had been harassed by dogs being shot by wildlife managers when it charged. Dogs have also been spotted chasing sheep in the Cougar Creek area.
If manageable, possibly some hours of wildlife managers’ time could be spent in investigating and pressing home charges.
