Tories consider return of spring hunt – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – September 26, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The provincial party that cancelled the spring black bear hunt is now considering including its reinstatement as a campaign promise. At the Progressive Conservative policy convention held in London this past weekend, Tory delegates voted in favour of having its policy team consider the hunt’s reinstatement as part of the party’s next platform.

The motion was put jointly forward by three Northern Tory candidates including Steve Black of Timmins-James Bay riding and Peter Politis of Timiskaming-Cochrane. The other delegate was Randy Nickel of Kenora-Rainy River.

“Three Northern associations recommended the spring black bear hunt be reinstated mostly due to the dangerous shift in bear behavior,” Black told The Daily Press. “That was a large focus. We discussed what’s transpired in Cochrane this year, the fact bears are now seen entering homes and the increased bear-human interactions.”

The idea would be reinstate a spring hunt in which only male black bears would be targeted, mirroring the policy of the previous hunt before it was cancelled.

“We put forward the motion to delegate the authority to municipalities, very similar to the one supported by NEOMA (Northeastern Ontario Municipal Association) on Friday,” said Black.

“The resolution would allow municipalities in Northern and rural Ontario to make decisions regarding the re-establishment of a spring bear hunt.”

Whether the policy is adopted and incorporated into the next Ontario PC platform remains to be seen.

“It’s not a committed policy,” Black said. “The purpose of the convention is to give all the delegates a chance to put forward suggestions for policy and then vote on whether or not they agree the policy team should consider this for the next platform.”

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