| Poaching haven
Inadequate funding of Fish and Wildlife offices is making Alberta a haven for poachers says the president of the Alberta Union of Public Employees.
Dan McLennan says operating budgets for Fish and Wildlife enforcement districts have been cut by between 20 to 50 per cent in the last year. As well, McLennan says Fish and Wildlife employees are being told not to work any overtime and to limit the amount of gas they burn while on patrol.
"In some offices they’ve received memos they’re only supposed to burn one or two tanks of gas every two weeks and their job is to patrol hundreds and hundreds of miles," says McLennan.
The Alberta government has just announced plans to increase penalties for poaching, but McLennan says the stiffer legislation will be meaningless if Fish and Wildlife officials don’t have the resources to find and charge poachers.
Dave Ealey, a spokesperson with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development says the overall Fish and Wildlife budget has actually been increased by $700,000 over the last year.
However, Ealey doesn’t deny that some regional Fish and Wildlife managers have told their staff not to work overtime and to limit the amount of gas they use on patrol.
"That’s just being responsible with taxpayers’ money," says Ealey. "We don’t want people patrolling unnecessarily. We want them to focus on patrolling where it will be most effective."
Missing gargoyle
It may have been a Halloween prank, but Calgary artist Elizabeth Laishley isn’t amused.
Laishley is asking for the safe return of a gargoyle that was stolen from her art exhibit at the Globe theatre. Laishley first learned Aron, " a grayish, golden gargoyle with pointy ears," was missing on November 10. The gargoyle was slightly smaller than a human head, says Laishley.
Aron was one of eight gargoyles that made up her exhibit. The exhibit ended this week.
"I hope they didn’t throw it away," says Laishley. "As an artist you put a lot of work into it."
Laishley is the organizer of monthly art exhibits at the Globe. She says she’s worried that the theft of Aron will deter other artists from showing their work at the Globe because of security concerns.
If you know the whereabouts of Aron the gargoyle you can call Laishley at 247-1428.
Blood donations
Canadian Blood Services has come up with a unique way to bond with co-workers and loved ones over the holiday season.
The organization is calling on friends, family and co-workers to roll up their sleeves and donate blood together. The promotion is called "The More the Merrier."
Canadian Blood Services is hoping to collect 9,000 units of blood in Calgary by January 5th.
The need for blood is increasing in Canada because of an aging population and an increase in treatments that require blood transfusions. However, only 3.5 per cent of Canadians donate blood regularly.
Toy collections
The Mustard Seed Street Ministry is asking Calgarians to help make Christmas a little merrier for underprivileged children.
The ministry is collecting toys for children up to the age of 12 years old. Parents in need of assistance will then be able to come and select appropriate toys for their children.
The project is aimed at families in the Victoria Park and downtown area. The goal is to help 150 families. |
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