AN INITIATIVE TO HOLD A CITIZEN REFERENDUM (PROVINCE-WIDE VOTE) TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO BAN THOPHY/SPORT HUNTING OF B.C. BEARS
If current habitat loss, hunting and poaching pressures continue, British Columbia's bears will be threatened with extinction the same way as the elephant, tiger and rhino are!
WHAT IS AN INITIATIVE?
With the proclamation of B.C.'s Recall and Initiative Act in 1995, B.C. became the first (and still is the only) province in Canada where citizens can directly initiate legislation. The proposal of an Act to prohibit the hunting of bears in B.C. is the first serious attempt to use this new democratic tool.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
A proponent, in this case WCWC Founding Director Paul George, (by law it must be a person, not an organization) sends a copy of the proposed law to B.C.'s Chief Electoral Officer, along with a $50 fee. Paul George submitted his proposal in June, 1996 and received approval in principle to proceed with the Initiative from B.C.'s Chief Electoral Officer on July 11 when a summary of the proposed Act was printed in the B.C. Gazette.
September 9 to December 9, 1996 was set as the 90 day period to collect the signatures of the registered voters who support the Initiative. There are 75 different Initiative petitions--one for each riding in the province. Witnesses approved of by the Chief Electoral Officer and the Proponent must gather the signatures of a minimum of 10 percent of registered voters in each electoral district--approximately 210,000 signatures province-wide, and the proponent must submit them to the Chief Electoral Officer by the end of the business day on Monday December 9. If the proponent is successful in the signature-gathering, the government can table the legislation in the legislature or put it to referendum (a special province-wide citizen vote) pre-scheduled for the last Saturday in September 1999!
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND HELP PROTECT BEARS!
We need as many canvassers as possible in every one of B.C.'s 75 electoral districts to collect signatures on this Bear Protection Act petition (we estimate about 3,000 canvassers province-wide). To qualify as a canvasser you must be a registered B.C. voter and have resided in B.C. for the past 6 months. You must fill out and sign the special form that the government has given the proponent, Paul George, saying that you want to be an official canvasser who will collect and witness signatures.
Care about the bear. Help advance participatory democracy! Collect signatures on the initiative petition I96001! Call 687-CARE or toll-free 1-800-661-WILD to have the canvasser application form sent to you or to find out where you can sign the petition.
A special message form Paul George, Proponent, Initiative I96001
I believe that it is critical to conserve a wildlife species before it becomes endangered. Once a species is declared endangered, the 'price on its head' skyrockets, accelerating poaching and hastening its slide into extinction. The purpose of the referendum is to protect the bears now and prevent the Grizzly bear (currently 'threatened') and the Black bear from ever becoming 'endangered' or extinct.
