Editor:
While passing through Canmore the other day, I picked up a copy of the Rocky Mountain Outlook. In it, was the article, “Grizzlies adapting to crossing structures,” about how Banff’s bears are using animal crossings.
To the casual observer, the tone of this piece may have looked reasonably positive and benign. But I wasn’t so sure. It left me feeling uncomfortable on a few levels. Here was a good opportunity, I thought, to bring folks into the epic fray of environmental politics.
Before settling into specifics, it’s necessary to provide some related background information.
To say the least, the politics of grizzly bears is an intense and ongoing battle: neighbours are pitted against each other, careers are lost, books are written, tempers flare, on it goes. It can get ugly. There are a couple of pivotal reasons for this.
First, grizzlies are a key indicator species, meaning they act as a kind of barometer regarding the overall vitality of an ecosystem. If they are doing poorly, then the entire landscape is well on the road to degradation, sometimes collapse. Second, grizzlies are the veritable poster child of the North American wilderness. They represent the very soul and spirit of the land. Much has been said on the subject.
Add to that, one cannot understate the Goliath importance of Canada’s national parks. Such cherished sanctuaries belong to all Canadians, and their children, and their children’s children, and so on. Their well being is a top priority for the nation.
So when a study of grizzly bears is conducted in a national park (Banff in particular) one would expect only the finest available science to be employed. In other words, top-notch, objective analysis, free of outside influence.
Yet, here, we don’t really see either.
The first sign of trouble is when our local representative “could not be reached for comment at press time.” What, is he Howard Hughes? Get your butt on that podium and address the public. The nerve... He should be happy to do so, and, in fact, Canadians should insist upon it.
Next, and much more important, we discover the study is not even being carried out in this country, rather, through an engineering arm of the Montana State University – known as the Western Transportation Institute (linked to the U.S. government), whose mandate is to “create solutions that work for our clients, sponsors and transportation partners.”
Therefore, whether the research is “peer reviewed” or not, there is no disguising the fact that invasive corporate overtones are lurking in the shadows. Not to notice such a thing would be painfully apathetic and out-of-touch with what it means to be living in a democracy (business-sponsored “research,” which tends to get predetermined results, occurs with such regularity there is even a name for it: “the third-party technique”).
Finally, as I see it, this study is putting something of a warm, fuzzy spin on a grave situation. While on some level grizzly bears benefit from using animal crossings, it’s only a drop in the bucket compared to what is really needed for their ongoing vitality.
Banff’s grizzlies are in peril because the park and much of the surrounding area has been, and continues to be, excessively overdeveloped. Like it or not, this has to be the focus of our attention, otherwise we are only tap-dancing around the perimeter of reality.
If the situation is moving vigorously in the direction of failure, let’s call it that: stop trying to sugar coat it.
Furthermore, don’t forget that all this more or less happens under the federal and provincial government umbrella, entities with increasingly dismal environmental records. Their integrity on such matters is not exactly intact.
The effect of all this? People become confused, which is, ultimately, probably the intent. Consider that, these days, muddying the waters of profound and complex issues is a common political tactic, with heavy links to the PR industry. Placing the trivial topic of hospital waiting times at the epicenter of healthcare discussions is a good example of this.
Look, in the end, I’m not suggesting we ignore the last pathetic remnants of grizzly bears in the Bow Valley Corridor. I’m just saying, simply, the way it is now being orchestrated is highly questionable.
And Canadians need to ask questions, otherwise, make no mistake, more of our treasured natural heritage will be torn apart by private interests, shallow management and just generally all-round bad leadership.
Tom Roschkov,
Edmonton
