Prince Rupert senior's feeding routine runs afowl of the bylaw department

"We have concerns about this, because we have had contact with the province and conservation officers in Terrace, and they're concerned about this. (It's about) discouraging the feeding of animals."--City Administrator Doug Jay explaining why a Prince Rupert senior received a visit from the bylaw officer last month

Feeding the wildlife of Prince Rupert has proven to be a troublesome hobby for a Prince Rupert senior. The Wednesday Daily News had the story of Bea Litchfield, who was reprimanded by the city by law office for her feeding of the deer that are populating Prince Rupert like dandelions these days.

Litchfield apparently has been feeding the deer for years without incident until this year, when it seems that some fellow neighbours in the hood decided that enough was enough and reported the wheel chair bound woman to the city.

From there the city sprang into action sending a bylaw officer to her home in late April to bring to an end the buffet line of Kaien Island.

It turns out that the actual feedig of deer is not illegal, but the fear was that some of the apples and such that she was leaving out for the deer might somehow attract wolves, bears and other members of the animal kingdom to her street.

Originally she was issued a ticket for public nuisance, but it has since been decided that she won't have to pay the fine, as the ticket was cancelled when her yard was cleaned up.

She's been discouraged from feeding the animals and the city we guess, is a safer place tonight...

You can follow the bread crumbs, apple cores and birdseeds to the story from the Wednesday Daily News.

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Woman shocked by deer-feeding fine

Senior says she was stunned to get fined for feeding deer in her yard
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Pages one and five

Bea Litchfield has always held out her hand for the Kaien Island deer, but after a recent incident late last month, it's unlikely she'll be able to do so again.

Litchfield, a senior who is confined to a wheelchair, has always gone out of her way to feed the birds, and has done her best to keep her birdfeeder full. But when birdseed would fall on the ground, occasionally a wayward deer would pay a visit, and Litchfield found herself offering the Kaien Island brethren scraps of apple or bananas.

"I've been feeding deer since they were babies," she said. "The deer are wandering around all the time."

For Litchfield, it was one of her pleasures in life, and in her mind, she wasn't bothering anyone, nor were the deer, for that matter.

"It's in my own yard," she said.

But apparently, someone on her street didn't agree, and in late-April, a city bylaw officer paid Litchfield a visit and told her she would have to stop, and in addition, that she would have to clean up her yard.

"I did throw bananas out or an apple, but it wasn't a mess at all," said Litchfield. "But the dog barks, I guess."

Litchfield was issued with a warning, but the next day, when the bylaw officer found that the situation hadn't been ameliorated, issued Litchfield with a ticket for nuisance on the property.
According to city bylaws, feeding deer isn't illegal persae, but feeding wild animals like wolves or bears is, and the concern for the city is that if food scraps are being left out in the open, they could attract unwanted critters into the area.

The city's feral cat problem is also factored into the equation.

"The bylaws are in place to discourage that kind of activity," said City Administrator Doug Jay.

"We have concerns about this, because we have had contact with the province and conservation officers in Terrace, and they're concerned about this. (It's about) discouraging the feeding of animals."

But Litchfield apparently has been feeding the deer for three years, and wonders why this one pleasure of hers has been taken away.

"Why now, three years later? Why me? The guys are down at the beach feeding eagles, and isn't that illegal?" said Litchfield.

"My neighbours said they were shocked."

But allegedly, because of the dogs barking whenever the deer make their appearance, that inspired other neighbours of Litchfield's to strike the complaint, and the ticket was issued.

However, the yard was eventually cleaned up, and the city then decided to cancel the ticket.

"Sometimes, those options are available to our bylaw officers," said Jay. "Really, even the most well-intentioned person or well-intentioned act in the world can still lead to something that (can cause problems).

"Our philosophy isn't to penalize everybody right off the bat, but to come to resolutions as amicably as possible."