As a lifelong Ontario…

As a lifelong Ontario citizen, I do not support the proposed spring bear hunt and believe it should continue to be outlawed. Hunting organizations and lobbyists are obviously biased and should not be trusted. They speak for a very small group of Ontarians, and, most importantly, they do not care about the welfare of black bears whatsoever but only their own selfish interests. The number of non-hunters in our province vastly outweighs the number of hunters, and you should weigh that carefully in your decision, as you were elected to carry out of the will of the majority of people.

Bear cubs will continue to be orphaned if the hunt becomes permanent. While it’s currently against the law to kill cubs and mother bears accompanied by cubs, mother bears often leave their cubs in trees when searching for food. If a mother is killed, her cubs will likely die slowly of starvation or be eaten by predators.

Hunting bears doesn’t improve human safety. Stopping human-bear conflict is achieved by removing access to garbage, barbeques, and other attractants.

Bears have low reproduction rates, meaning the survival of adult females is vital for the species.

The government has disclosed a need to reduce black bear hunting in Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula due to population concerns, yet it is simultaneously proposing to allow the hunting and trapping of these bears in that region for one week each spring. This is irresponsible.

Even the economic argument for allowing the hunt is weak. The government has said the economic impact would be neutral or positive, but has provided no evidence to support this claim.

In this day and age, when more Ontarians care about animal welfare and rights than ever before, it’s unacceptable that the government is supporting the cruel and needless trophy hunting of bears. For all the reasons outlined above and more, the Ontario government should once again outlaw the spring bear hunt.