Northern Ontario Environmental Issues
Bear Relocation Campaign
Re-introduce Black Bears to Southern Ontario
An idea born in the wilderness
-Media Release, Mona Sims
What started as an "idea of the moment" during a camping trip has turned
into a growing movement gathering international attention. On Saturday
night the town of Coniston played host to people from all over Ontario
who came out to support the Black Bear Reintroduction Campaign. The
campaign is working to have black bears reintroduced into their once
native homeland in southern Ontario. Speaking to a packed house, Murray
Monk of Nipigon talked about "the growing number of nuisance bears" in
the north and spoke with emotion about the alarming, and "rapidly rising
number of cubs left orphaned" when these nuisance animals are killed.
"We love running with the truth", said Monk.
The campaign, spearheaded by Monk and
Eldon Hawton of North Bay, is made up of an eclectic gathering of people
you don't often see working together. On hand for the dinner Saturday
night were people as differing in their views as vegetarian animal
welfare activists and professional fur trappers. The uniting factor
seems to be the desire to see the lives of nuisance bears saved and
fewer cubs left orphaned. Monk says the slaughter can only intensify as
bear populations in the north continue to rise. He invites all concerned
citizens to support this effort.
The fund raising dinner, silent action,
and fashion show was richly supported by companies and individuals
representing every region of northern Ontario, areas in southern
Ontario, and from as far away as North Dakota. The door prize alone was
valued at $3500.00. The group plans to use funds generated at this event
to step up and continue the campaign. You may find more information
about the movement at
www.northernontario.org and in the various communities springing up
online that are dedicated to this issue.
