Updates
December 2023:
As of December 11th, Parks Canada had completed Phase 1 of their deer cull and reported to have killed 84 deer on Sidney Island, 63 were fallow deer and 21 were Black-tailed deer. Phase 1 ran between December 1st to December 11th. This phase included marksmen shooting the animals from a helicopter as well as ground-based hunting. Local residents gathered to express their opposition to this plan, but it went on despite this. Phase 1 cost the taxpayers $834,000 and was just 1 of 3 phases that will occur into 2025. Parts of the island were blocked off from access by the residents due to gunfire. Phase 2, which is scheduled for next summer, fall and winter, includes putting up fencing in order to divide the island into parts and locating the deer who remain through the use of hunters and dogs.
A new study published recently challenges the efficacy of removing non-native species from the environment, as do books like this: The New Wild: Why Invasive Species Will Be Nature’s Salvation: Pearce, Fred: 9780807039557: Books – Amazon.ca. Culling is used widely by Parks Canada in a misguided attempt to return the environment to its “natural” state which, of course, is quite impossible to do. Animal Alliance of Canada and the Animal Protection Party of Canada continues to encourage the federal government to intervene and protect the environment by allowing it and the species who are part of the ecosystem to evolve with our rapidly changing planet.
We are currently asking that those concerned about this particular issue, but the greater concern around Parks Canada’s approach to wildlife management, to write to both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault. We are asking that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urge Minister Guilbeault to appoint independent scientists to investigate Parks Canada’s practices and efficacy around wildlife management. We are asking that Minister Guilbeault modernize Parks Canada’s mandate and policies to better protect national parks across Canada in this climate heating era and that Parks Canada become a global leader in best practices. We also have a campaign that we setup in November directed at Minister Guilbeault with a pre-written email that you can send as well.
You can write to them, postage-free, using the following addresses, as well as email them:
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
steven.guilbeault@parl.gc.ca
The Honourable Justin Trudeau
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
August 2023:
Parks Canada continues to move forward with plans to spend $6 million for its fallow deer eradication by helicopter aerial gunning and ground hunting with dogs despite Animal Alliance’s concerns of a conflict of interest in the procurement process, lack of accountability over the eradication process, and the ecological damage that will be caused by eliminating all deer from Sidney Island.
For the past few months, we have been investigating the procurement process used by Parks Canada for the eradication bidding, based on concerning information found in an Access to Information Request (ATIP). What I found was that Parks Canada’s own staff had voiced concerns internally that there was a conflict of interest. The contractor who could potentially gain financially from the approval of the deer eradication option was also the Chair of the steering committee for the Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project (SIERP) that was developing the options for how to manage the deer.
We immediately brought our concerns to the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO), the watchdog for government procurement processes and they shared our concerns, encouraging us to file a formal complaint which we did both to the OPO and to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT). This was one tool we had to hold Parks Canada accountable. While neither organization could formally investigate due to AAC not being a bidder for the contract and the amount of money involved, the OPO did bring our complaints to the attention of the President of Parks Canada, Ron Hallman. So far, we have not received a response from his office.
We also made the argument to Parks Canada that we should be able to observe the planned eradication process, so that the public could be accurately informed of the conduct of the hunters and suffering of any animals. While the opportunity of transparency to the public by having an AAC observer present was considered, it was rejected. As of now, we – BC residents and taxpayers will not be allowed to know the truth of what suffering will take place on Sidney Island if the planned eradication moves forward.
Furthermore, Parks Canada has been misleading the public on the scope of this project for some time as being solely focused on eradication of introduced European fallow deer, while in fact, they are planning to kill every deer on the Island including all the native black-tail deer. While Parks Canada’s narrative is one of ecological restoration, it is actually of indiscriminate killing as the process they have chosen, aerial gunning, makes it too hard to differentiate the two species. Sidney Island’s ecology will likely suffer due to this unjustifiable decision, allowing non-native plant species to proliferate in the absence of the black-tail deer.
We brought a non-lethal, humane option to Parks Canada, specifically immune-contraceptives. We know from studies in Oak Bay that its immune-contraceptive programme was successful in reducing the number of fawns born each year. On Sidney Island, the fallow deer population would be reduced and the native black-tailed deer would not be targeted. Humane alternatives exist and need to be seriously considered by Parks Canada without undue influence from those who look to benefit financially from large-scale eradication.
From the Animal Alliance of Canada’s assessment, the entire SIERP process, as it pertains to fallow deer eradication, has been unethical and flawed from the start and it must be scrapped for a transparent and accountable process that addresses the above and numerous other issues that have been brought to Parks Canada’s attention. It is unacceptable for public policy to be developed in this way, regardless of if it is an animal issue or another social issue, as it erodes the public’s trust in government equally.
Parks Canada is currently seeking public input on the eradication process and we are encouraging Animal Alliance of Canada supporters to make their concerns heard. You can email Stephanie Coulson regarding this matter at stephanie.coulson@pc.gc.ca Please be respectful and kind in any correspondence.
We encourage you to read the Times Colonist coverage of the issue here too, which we provided the material and background for.
What’s happening on Sidney Island
On a small Island off the coast of Vancouver Island, Parks Canada is seeking to once again hold an unjustifiable and inhumane eradication of fallow deer with aerial gunning from helicopters and harassment by dogs.
Sidney Island is part of a chain of Islands that make up the Gulf Islands National Park. It is also partly private property with approximately 100 lots overseen by a strata corporation.
Fallow deer were initially introduced to nearby James Island in the early 1900’s for hunting purposes and migrated to Sidney Island later. With minimal predators on the Island, the population grew to approximately 3000 deer in in the early 2000’s. At that time, approximately 2000 deer were killed and recent estimates by local residents suggests the population currently is around 300. While damage to the ecosystem was present with the peak population, a UBC report from five years ago shows a 30% improvement to the ecosystem since. There is no evidence to support Parks Canada’s assertion that the ecosystem is currently not continuing to regenerate and that the current population of deer is not sustainable.
Regardless of a lack of evidence and data to support eradication, and no current scientific count, Parks Canada has pushed forward an agenda to exterminate fallow deer from Sidney Island. This includes spending $5.9 million dollars to hire contractors, Coastal Conservation, to kill the deer from helicopters and hunting on the ground with dogs. This is very similar to the $6 million spent in 2018 to eradicate deer from Haida Gwaii with aerial sharpshooters from New Zealand.
Thanks to a small group of concerned and compassionate landowners who started the Sidney Island Deer Management Society on Sidney Island, Parks Canada, Coastal Conservation, and the strata corporation have been exposed for promoting this project. There are also serious concerns mentioned by Parks Canada staff, obtained through FOI requests, of a “conflict-of-interest” in how the contract has been awarded and the spurious justification for eradication that we are currently investigating.
They need our help now to hold these public and private bodies accountable for the suffering and slaughter Parks Canada are spending $6 million dollars of tax-payers money to support.
What about Immuno-Contraception?
Our first question was if immuno-contraception was considered and investigated as a viable option to reduce the deer population humanely. Isolated islands make ideal opportunities for immuno-contraception because it is highly unlikely any new animals will migrate to the area. However, we have not found any evidence that humane options, including allowing the current small population to persist, were considered by Parks Canada or the contractor. Their agenda has been and always is to kill.
Has a scientific count been done?
Policy implementation regarding wildlife should be based on evidence, not financial motivations or misinformation campaigns. The most reliable estimates of the current population of fallow deer is 300 from people who live on Sidney Island. There has been no scientific count or clear ongoing ecological damage done to justify cull at this point.
In fact, in the text of an FOI from the Aug 7 Steering Committee and Aug 8th Site visit, notes from Island Conservation acknowledges that “…it is unlikely the BENEFIT of the eradication efforts will be clear on implementation…” and the need to come up with motivation for the cull possibly using “vegetable gardens or flower beds…:
Furthermore, in April 2021, one of Parks Canada’s own Ecological Restoration Specialists voiced concerns regarding misleading statements about the population of fallow deer on Sidney Island and questioned the need for eradication based on a draft of the Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project talking points (SIERP) for the project:
“A) The current population of invasive fallow deer is still at least 4 times greater than a healthy ecosystem can support. Until the invasive fallow deer population is removed, effective restoration of Sidney Island’s forests will not be possible.”
As Parks Canada’s own ecological specialist notes, the statement in the SIERP document contradicts itself as it states there are four times too many deer, without knowing the actual number or having done an actual count and positing that if the population was lowered by four times, then there would be no need for eradication. This runs counter to their claim eradication is needed to effectively restore the Island.
It is very clear from just the information provided through the FOI that a false narrative has been crafted by Parks Canada and those wanting to eradicate deer by shooting them from helicopters. Parks Canada’s false narrative is the only way for them to justify a $6 million taxpayer dollar plan to kill an estimated 300 deer at $20,000 per deer.
What are the next steps?
To conduct the mass killing, Parks Canada required access to the strata controlled land. In 2022, the strata vote failed to pass with a needed 75% super-majority in support of the proposal. However, the super-majority threshold was challenged in court and a simple majority of 52% was able to pass the proposal in March 2023. With the vote passed, very few options remain to stop the eradication program from moving forward.
However, we can and must continue to work to hold Parks Canada, Coastal Conservation, and the strata accountable. We can expose Parks Canada’s unwillingness to try non-lethal, humane alternatives. It is the least we can do on behalf of the deer who will suffer greatly.
We are currently developing a plan of action, engaging with stakeholders, and working to ensure the public knows the truth about this inhumane and unjustified mass killing of wildlife.
Animal Alliance of Canada will continue to provide updates on this issue as the campaign develops. If you would like to support our efforts on Sidney Island, please donate here.
Thank you for your support.