We European-descended learn early of the danger lurking in the woods, just beyond the hamlet’s edge. Our childhood bedtimes and nursery rhymes are full of foreboding and warnings of big bad wolves that would eat us and grandmother too should we tarry on, or stray from civilization’s well-worn path.
The primary propaganda has proven so effective, the great predators haunting kinder’s dreams in the Old Country for so long have retreated now to the densest forests, and craggiest, most remote redoubts, barely surviving extinction. But here, on the island-continent the First Peoples call ‘Turtle’ it’s still possible to see the cougar, bear, moose, elk, caribou, eagle, hawk, falcon, and fox, and of course wolf.
In fact, there are so many of the latter on Vancouver Island, the government allows wolves be trapped and killed most days of the year. But apparently predating wolves eight months of the year is insufficient, for British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development now propose extending the wolf-killing here to ten.
Gary R. Allan operates the SWELL Wolf Education Centre, and says it’s his hope people will, “see the wolf for what it is: one more magnificent species… deserving of our understanding and acceptance.”
Gary R. Allan in the first half.
And; the 2018 edition of the Victoria Film Festival rolls out next week. This year, the festival celebrates its 23rd annual showcasing of Canadian and international features, documentaries, shorts, animated films, and more. Donovan Aikman, long-time head programmer with the Victoria Film Festival, joins us today for a preview.
Donovan Aikman, Bringing Film to Life again in Victoria in the second half.
And; Victoria-based greentrepreneur and horticulturalist extraordinaire, Christina Nikolic will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin bringing us up to speed with some of the good things going on in and around our town in the coming week.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/