News

Saanichion resident joined inc

Common Canadians brought
common sense to the constitu-
tional debate throughout the series
of conferences which started in
Halifax last month and wrapped
up Feb. 16 in Vancouver.

According to participant Kay
Armstrong of Saanichton, the con-
ferences gave Canadians a better
perspective on the issues.

“J think there was a greater
degree of understanding of the

complexities involved,” Arm-
strong said Thursday.

She has followed the constitu-
tional conferences closely, as one
of 40 ordinary Canadians chosen
from across the country to partici-
pate in the first forum, held in
Halifax last month. Another local
resident, Gerry Presseau of Sidney,
was also chosen to participate in
the conference.

“Most of the average Canadians

The Review - Wednesday, February 26,1992 — A34

spoke from the heart without con-
sidering the political ramifica-
tions,” Armstrong said, descnibing
her experience in Halifax.

By contrast, she found the con-
Sstitutional experts were bogged
down in weighing endless possi-
bilities and variables.

“They build in their own bag-
gage for many, many reasons. They
probably didn’t realize they were
in a closed circle or how they got

Continued from Page A8

found them to be both friendly and
considerate neighbors. While real-
izing not everyone likes or even
understands dogs — we do!!

Rural residential areas are the
right places to raise dogs or any
other creature on one’s Own prop-
erty.

With the current rash of residen-
tial “break-ins” in the Cove and
often ineffectual alarm systems;
one should welcome the presence
of a worthy ‘““guard’’ dog on one’s
own property or adjacent lot.

In respect to children putting
their hand through fences or even
reaching out to strange dogs irre-
spective of size or breed, parents
should encourage their children
not to pet or approach without
direct permission of the owner.

While raising our children and
keeping dogs, we have enjoyed the
rural aspect of the area and the
harmonious relationship of our
neighbors for many years.

Now the district as a whole has
a real dilemma — first the urba-
nites insisted that no roosters be
allowed to exist in the area — too
noisy (though natural). What's
next, no “guard” dogs? What is
the solution?

Mr. and Mrs, Ashbee and your
Akitas, we extend a belated wel-
come and want it known that as far
as these two directly neighboring
households are concerned, we
value you as neighbors.

Chris and Margaret Logan
Terry and Kathy Towle
Sidney

Fearful encounter

Editor:

Referring to the letter from
David and Kathy English (Dogs
dangerous in Deep Cove, The
Review, Feb. 12), about the pur-
ebred Akita dogs, owned by their
neighbors, I was interested to learn
that the Akita is considered a
guard dog, and that Mr. and Mrs.
English do not share the Ashbee’s
view that Akita dogs are not
VICIOUS.

Let me tell you of a most
frightening encounter I had with
an Akita on Third Street in Sidney
on August 9th.

I was walking my West High-
land on a leash at 10 p.m. on the
sidewalk in front of Amherst Gar-
dens Apartments on Third. A man
and woman were walking up
Amherst from the beach with two
dogs. The man had a smaller dog
on the leash, the woman had a
leash in her hand — her dog was
running free.

Suddenly the loose dog (an
Akita) charged across Third and
attacked my Westie, grabbing him
fiercely at the back of his neck and
growling ferociously. I kept pulling
my dog away from the Akita and
the leash chain was choking him
— so there was no dog fight.

On the third attack the woman
finally grabbed the Akita by the
collar.

When I got home I found the

skin on Robbie’s neck was ripped
back exposing a four-inch by four-
inch wound. Next moming the vet
used more than eight stitches to

close the wound — I paid $110 for
the bill.

The SPCA told me they would
fine the Akita’s owner for walking
the dog without a leash.

Most momings now when I look
out to the beach, I see this same
Akita being released from her
leash at the Amherst public beach
access to run freely.

Fortunately I have not come face
to face with this Akita again — but
if I do I will be paralyzed with
fear.

From my experience with this
fearful encounter with an Akita I
can only report the dog 1s vicious.

Anne G. Hudson

Sidney

Akita’s actions
speak volumes

Editor:

Let’s put the record straight
regarding the claims and counter-
claims surrounding the shooting of
a purebred Akita dog by a North
Saanich farmer.

The dogs’ owner, A. Ashbee,
claims in a letter to The Review
(Owner present when dogs shot,
Feb. 5) that they are “non-
vicious,” and that a “closed gate
is all that is necessary to protect
one’s property.” Both of these are
outrageous.

My sheep have twice suffered
attacks by the Ashbee dogs. On the
first occasion, a fine three year-old
Suffolk-Cross (a substantial ani-
mal weighing over 100 Ibs.) was
savagely mauled within moments
of one of Ashbee’s dogs getting
onto my land, despite all the gates
being firmly shut.

Ashbee told me later that he had
recovered his dog “almost imme-
diately,” yet he did nothing about
the wretched ewe.

As we were away that week, the
animal was left overnight in the
ditch where it had fallen, before it
was found by the house-sitter the
following morning. A vet was
called and the animal mercifully
destroyed. So was the offending
dog, I was told.

About a month later, a second
Akita belonging to Ashbee got into
my sheep, again over the fence,
and this time (according to a roofer
working on my house at the time)
chased a ram into such a frenzy
that it jumped through an eight-
strand hog-wire fence in terror.

The dog followed, and the two
fought to an exhausted standstill in
our garden (this, all according to
the eye-witness of the roofer).

Ashbee arrived later and
removed the dog. Incredibly, the
ram was undamaged by either the
dog or its trip through the fence
(the hole is still there to prove it),
and when I demanded he have the
dog destroyed, he argued that since
it had not drawn blood, and since
he now had a proper chainlink
fence to ensure its confinement at

all times; he did not think it would
be necessary.

I bitterly regret not insisting that
justice be done, and can only
congratulate Mr. Davies on his
fusillary perspicacity. It is unac-
ceptable that A. Ashbee claim
Akitas are “non-vicious.” Their
behaviour on just two occasion
speaks volumes about the breed.

It is no good promising contain-
ment or vigilance. Containment
and vigilance fail, and the results
are sickening. The dog’s suitabil-
ity in arural environment is about
as acceptable as a nuclear process-
ing plant, adjacent to a day care
centre.

R.D. Hudson

North Saanich

Don’t hear dogs

Editor:

Regarding the dog shooting epi-
sode in Deep Cove, I wish to state
that I am not acquainted with
Ashbees, Englishes nor Mr. Dav-
ies. But as longstanding resident of
Birch Road and close neighbor |
am acquainted with relevant facts
in this case.

As Mr. Ashbee stated (Owner
present, The Review, Feb. 5), the
sheep were not being attacked and
were under control of the owner,
when Mr. Davies shot and killed
one dog and pointed the gun at the
owner (Dog killed, The Review,
Jan. 29). :

The Englishes state “since they
(the Ashbees) moved in last sum-
mer, their dogs have been a contin-
ual source of worry and annoyance
to our family.”

In actual fact, the Ashbees were
there before the Englishes and the
previous owners of Englishes’
property never had any problem
with the dogs, and very seldom
heard them barking. In fact on
occasion they talked to them
through the fence. (Needless to say
they were animal lovers.) And
incidentally, how much livestock
does Mr. English expect to be
allowed to raise on his three-
quarter acre property?

As neighboring dog owners, we
walk past the English and Ashbee
properties four times a day, and
have never once heard the dogs
barking.

Yes, we have sometimes heard
and seen noisy children up and
down Birch Road on their way
home from school; not noisy
because of the dogs, just high
spirited after being cooped up for
hours!

The fact that the Ashbees are
police officers is totally irrelevant
to this episode. In fact many of
their neighbors were not aware of
this fact, but welcome them and
the fact that law enforcement is
represented in this area. We need
it!

As for Mr. Davies and his three
sheep, why doesn’t he erect for
them a substantial fence?

Next time it could be a child that
is accidentally shot.

Margaret Abbot

North Saanich

s

there,” she remarked.

Armstrong said the comments of
ordinary Canadians — seated for
the first time as equals at a
constitutional conference with the
politicians and experts — broke
that circle.

“This is where ordinary Canadi-
ans came in. They’re used to
dealing with things as they are and
as they happen on a day-to-day
basis.”

Chosen at random, both Arm-
Strong and Presseau had to do
some day-to-day scrambling just to
reach the Halifax conference.

Both received phone calls Jan.
12 inviting them to the conference.
Their detailed information pack-
ages only arrived two days before
they left Sidney. Both flew out at 8
a.m. Jan. 16.

“Tt didn’t leave too much time
to digest the material they sent
out,” Armstrong said, adding that
she spent seven hours each day
Jan. 14 and 15 reading the back-
ground material.

Having the government pick up
the cost made it possible for
ordinary Canadians to join in the
conferences, Armstrong said.

Presseau said the government
expenditure was worthwhile, if
only because it brought together
ordinary Canadians from both
French and English backgrounds.

“Tf it had cost $50 billion, 1
think it was worth it,” he declared.

Armstrong was surprised to dis-
cover the French Canadians partic-
ipating in the conference were not
aggressively seeking separation
from Canada.

“They were more concerned
with protecting their people and
rights. There was no animosity
towards Canada,” Armstrong said.

The traditional trade-off
between French and English Can-
ada is now being altered by the
demands of the First Nations’
people, she added.

“There’s a whole new format
evolving which is going to result in
change and in a new constitution.
Where do the aboriginals, where
do the Inuit fit into Canada?”

The series of conferences has
brought together different groups
from around the country, who have
now come to appreciate each
others’ difficulties, Armstrong
said.

““We’ve seen we re not the only
ones with problems,” she added.

During the Halifax conference,
Armstrong was in a 16-member
discussion group which debated

-compassionate, sensible people

656-1151

onstitutional debate

the division of powers between the
federal and provincial govern-
ments.

Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Lynn
Hunter was part of the same group.

Armstrong maintains part of the
problem over the constitution is
caused by a poor choice of lan-
guage. For example, the suggestion
that Canada accommodate the dis-
tinct society of Quebec would be
more accurately phrased as
“embracing the unique society of
Quebec,” Armstrong explained.

She is convinced the participa-
tion of ordinary Canadians will be
part of future government confer-
ences On major issues.

“There was a new recognition of
the resource of ordinary Canadi-
ans,” she said.

“Canadians as a whole are very

who are willing to work out solu-
tions.”

Paving wails

Rain, rain, go away, Sidney’s
public works department officials
lament as they wait to repave a
section of Beacon Avenue.

Wet weather forced postpone-
ment of the much-awaited work to
next week — if the weatherman
co-operates.

Public works officials are aim-
ing for Monday to pave the stretch
from First Street to Fifth Street.

Manager Dick Reynolds says a
full day of dry weather is needed
before paving can commence.
Work will be done on a Monday or
Tuesday, not later in the week, to
accommodate merchants, he said.

That meant crews may not hit
the streets this week.

The whole street will be closed
once paving begins. Crews will
begin work at 7 a.m. when — or if
— paving day arrives.

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