Fur flies over Oak Bay deer-cull protest at mayor's home

Sarah Petrescu / Times Colonist

November 25, 2013 07:51 PM

 

Ann Winberg participates in Saturday's rally in Oak Bay Village to oppose the municipality's deer-control plans.  Photograph by: ADRIAN LAM, Times Colonist 

Marion Cumming won’t budge on her stance against the proposed deer cull in Oak Bay. But she will bring cookies — little gingerbread deer, of course — to the mayor and council as a peace offering.
Keeping a friendly dialogue going is important, she said. “That’s the key.”

Cumming and others are angry that Oak Bay council recently approved a plan to trap and cull deer, the proliferation of which has caused safety concerns in residential areas.

On Saturday, about 45 people opposed to the cull took a protest walk to Mayor Nils Jensen’s house. He wasn’t home but was upset to hear about the incident later.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Jensen said. “My door is always open at the office. I’ve met with a lot of these people. . . . This was an unfair imposition on my family and neighbours.”

Cumming, who was not part of the protest at mayor’s home, said the group was well-intentioned with anti-cull carols prepared, like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentle Deer.”

Kelly Carson, protest organizer and DeerSafe Victoria member, said: “In hindsight, I am very sorry that we may have upset him. I see that I need to brush up on my crowd-control skills.”

Carson hopes the council works to find a non-lethal way to deal with the deer and avoid a cull.

The mayor said they’re exploring all options and a cull is not in the immediate future.

“DeerSafe will continue to write to the levels of government that are making decisions concerning non-lethal deer management, urging them to take these alternative options seriously,” Carson said.

Other local politicians said showing up on Jensen’s doorstep crossed the line.

“Family and neighbours should be left out of public debate,” said Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, who faced placards and graffiti at his tire business in the 1980s when a few regional district issues became heated.
“People get very passionate and have valid points. But you do hope common sense prevails,” he said.

Leonard posted news about Saturday’s protest on his Facebook page, and it turned into a public debate.
Piping in on the comments was Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft, who said a confrontation with anti-deer cull activists led to his municipality being sued, his business boycotted and tampering with traps.

Former Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong never had a protest come to her home. But she did face “fowl play” in her constituency office in 2010 when six live hens were let loose by environmental protesters, who later apologized.

“It takes time to repair relationships and really talk after things like this,” she said.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said he wouldn’t compare the deer protest with the vandalism on his family home and car in 2010 by a homeless activist. He said mayors are the most accessible politicians and the public should take advantage of legitimate avenues.

“What I love about civic politics are the chats at Thriftys or the pool,” Fortin said. “And there’s public hearings, open doors. That’s when we have our public personas on and are happy to talk,” he said.

spetrescu@timescolonist.com