Editor: World Animal Day on Oct. 4, the Feast of Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment, reminds us that humans must demonstrate compassion for those who cannot speak for themselves. In a recent interview, the Mayor of Banff commented on the initiatives designed to manage the number of visitors to the park, yet not one word was mentioned about the burden on the water resource that is dwindling at an alarming rate, nor how the wildlife is struggling to survive and thrive.
With climate change continuing to affect the innumerable creatures with whom we share the planet, consider Farley Mowat’s words, written in 1984, that were timely even then: “Perhaps it will help to change our attitudes and modify our future activities so that we do not become the ultimate destroyers of the living world … of which we are a part.” Please pause and remember the thousands of creatures who succumbed to the wildfires while attempting to flee from the infernos that engulfed their habitat. Carol Tracey,
Calgary
