Mary-Sue, Grizzly Ambassador, holding a salmon award
As a North Vancouver mother of 3, I love our beautiful natural environment in British Columbia. Our magnificent grizzly bears are an iconic species and tourists from around the world come here for the opportunity to view them in the wild. We in B.C. host some of North America’s last remaining places where large predators and their prey play out their millennia-old roles. Grizzlies are an important “umbrella” species. Landscapes that support healthy Grizzly bear populations will be able to sustain many other species. Grizzly bears play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by distributing salmon nutrients into forests and transporting seeds. They are an important part of the culture of First Nations People living in B.C. I personally love and respect our grizzly bears and the barbaric practice of trophy hunting must end. I was chosen to be an Olympic torchbearer in the 2010 Winter Olympics for my volunteer stewardship of wild salmon and their ecosystems for over 20 years. I am so proud to be a Canadian and a British Columbian. But I, and over 91% of my fellow British Columbians, are not proud of our trophy hunt, are disgusted by it and want it to stop. Now is the time to listen to the public who share my values. I want our children and their children to be able to view majestic grizzlies in the wild. The hunt is not sustainable : economically, socially, environmentally or morally. Please join me and speak for the grizzlies! Mary-Sue Atkinson, North Vancouver
Jacqueline, Grizzly Ambassador – Momma Grizzly resting in the Khutzemateen, B.C.
Growing up, my parents had a hobby farm with a variety of farm animals. We loved them all like pets and we did everything possible to make sure they were healthy and safe. I’ve never known anything in my life but to care deeply for animals. Watching the local news one evening in 2013, I learned about the BC trophy hunt and how a hockey player had killed a grizzly bear and then proudly posed for photos with its bloody severed head and paws. I was disgusted and horrified. I thought that trophy hunting was something that was going on somewhere else in the world. I didn’t imagine that in Canada, in my home province of BC, it was actually legal to kill these beautiful animals for no reason other than to have their head or hide. I wanted to help the bears and I made a pact with myself to become active in the effort to end this archaic practice. Over the last several years, I’ve met and aligned myself with many others who also want to see the trophy hunt ended. I’ve signed many petitions, written letters to our leaders, written letters to newspapers, and I talk to everyone I can about this issue in order to bring it to the forefront. I have only ever met one or two people who don’t think trophy killing is wrong, most people agree right away that it is reprehensible and should be ended. I agree and believe that ending it is the morally right thing to do. Jacqueline Hohmann, Surrey
Craig is a Grizzly Ambassador
I can imagine a day when there is a parade in front of the Provincial Legislature when the last grizzly bear has been shot and the people demonstrating will in fact be mourning that this keystone species so fundamental to the ecology of the Province’s forests no longer roams the wild areas. People will say, ‘How could that have happened? Why did the government not stop the hunting of these animals when they knew there was no economic, social, environmental or moral reason to sanction their mindless slaughter?’ I can also imagine a parade in front of the Provincial Legislature when the last grizzly bear has been shot and the people will be celebrating because hunting of this apex predator has been stopped. We will cheer that the will of the people has been heard and grizzly bears will continue to honour us with their presence. My name is Craig Smith and I believe we have the power to choose the future of the grizzly bear. Craig Smith, Richmond
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