Wildlife officers who seized Innu vehicle suspended

Last Updated: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 4:11 PM NT CBC News


Two conservation officers in Newfoundland and Labrador have been suspended in connection with an incident involving Innu hunters accused of killing caribou in a closed area two weeks ago.

Officials in the Natural Resources Department are refusing to comment on the suspension, saying it's a personnel issue, but sources have confirmed for CBC News that the officers were disciplined for taking too long to return a seized vehicle to the hunters.

The incident began Dec. 14 when wildlife officers confronted a group of hunters from Sheshatshiu, in central Labrador.

The officers suspected they were killing caribou in an area of central Labrador closed to hunting.

The provincial government considers the caribou that roam the land in the area to be part of the Red Wine herd, which is endangered.

The Innu disagree and have regularly hunted there in the past.

Wildlife officers called in the RCMP after the hunters ignored two roadblocks.

They were stopped and charged at a third roadblock, and the wildlife officers seized the truck the hunters were travelling in, along with a rifle and the carcasses of eight caribou.

Innu leaders demanded the truck be returned.

After consulting justice officials, Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale ordered the conservation officers in Northwest River to return the truck.

Sources said a delay occurred as the wildlife office sought its own legal opinion.

Privately, enforcement officials told CBC News that they weren't happy about being undermined by their political bosses.

But Dunderdale told CBC News at the time, "There is no need to exacerbate volatile situations when they exist."

She went on to say she understood the frustration of wildlife officers, but that she "cannot have within the agency someone who works outside the mandate."

Just before Christmas, the officers involved in the incident were suspended for five days without pay because the truck wasn't returned immediately.

Carol Furlong, the head of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, the union that represents conservation officers, confirmed Wednesday that disciplinary action had been taken.

Furlong said the government was being mean-spirited by suspending employees at Christmastime.

She said the union will file a grievance.

"We do believe that this was an unjust action," she told CBC News, "that it was an inappropriate action and that there was no need for the employer to take the steps that they took. We take this very seriously."

Furlong said the provincial government should be assisting wildlife officers who are stuck in the middle of the Innu hunting dispute, instead of penalizing them.

Conservation officers said they would like to speak publicly about the discipline that was handed out, but fear losing their jobs.

I worked for the BC Forest Service, the Alberta Forest Service and the Canadian Coast Guard and this type of outrageous treatment of decent, caring, hardworking public employees is a longterm problem throughout Canada. I no longer work in these positions, although I have been told, within the past three months and few years by supervisors in all three that a job is mine, should I apply.

I used to LOVE working in resource management and while I could have earned twice as much in private employment, I chose to do it and try my best to do it well. I could post dozens of incidents I witnessed and was involved in, where the politics of "big business" and the "aboriginals" forced us to "look the other way", so, I left.

I absolutely despise these so called "stewards of the land" and "original conservationists"; they are scum and useless parasites. I would settle the resource issues in Canada with "helicopter gunships" if I could and most people I know feel exactly the same way.

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
I worked for the BC Forest Service, the Alberta Forest Service and the Canadian Coast Guard and this type of outrageous treatment of decent, caring, hardworking public employees is a longterm problem throughout Canada. I no longer work in these positions, although I have been told, within the past three months and few years by supervisors in all three that a job is mine, should I apply.

I used to LOVE working in resource management and while I could have earned twice as much in private employment, I chose to do it and try my best to do it well. I could post dozens of incidents I witnessed and was involved in, where the politics of "big business" and the "aboriginals" forced us to "look the other way", so, I left.

I absolutely despise these so called "stewards of the land" and "original conservationists"; they are scum and useless parasites. I would settle the resource issues in Canada with "helicopter gunships" if I could and most people I know feel exactly the same way.

Rather harsh way to treat your fellow canadians,eh dewey? Genocide by helicopter gunship?

And yet,you criticize present day americans for racial atrocities commited 100 years ago,but feel you should be able to kill canadian citizens for shooting a few caribou?
I knew you were crazy,but you've really stepped on your little dick this time.

I'd like to see the response if Dewey were to post that on a Canadian forum....namely HBC !!

I have posted exactly that on HBC and recently; I make NO secret of my antipathy toward radical indians or terrorists of ANY ethnicity.

The way to deal with these landraping, lawless and oftimes violent scum is by the use of efficient military force....." as for those bleeding hearts, who do not like the sight of guns, all I can say is, go ahead and bleed"... The Right Honourable Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Prime Minister of the Dominion of Canada. I well remember him saying that and he was right.

Have YOU ever dealt with armed, aggressive indians as a part of YOUR job, 'cause, I have. So, tell us, what do you know about issues like this?

Dewey's hypocracy runs very deep. The best thing to do is put him on "ignore."

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
I have posted exactly that on HBC and recently; I make NO secret of my antipathy toward radical indians or terrorists of ANY ethnicity.

No you haven't....Cut and paste that bullshit Dewey....See what kind of response you get.

jetdrvr, why would a foreigner like you have any concern over what is totally a Canadian matter?

Could it be that you simply want to interfere in OUR affairs because you are unhappy that foreign hunting and then angling IS slowly but surely being eliminated here?

You should perhaps try to deal with the lawless "illegals" from south of your border and mind your own business where our issues are concerned. Given the gang of Cuban "jailbirds" that your government allowed into Florida, maybe you might have problems to deal with and can keep your nose out of ours.

I usually disagree with nearly everything Dewey posts, but not on this.
His reply is spot on,albeit politically incorrect.
And actually, many Canadians feel this way.

But Dewey, why try and put the foreign hunting spin on things again for f**k sakes. This topic has nothing to do with that.

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
.

BTW, you impress me as being a teenager, with no real work, bush, gun or other experience. Have YOU ever dealt with armed, aggressive indians as a part of YOUR job, 'cause, sonny, I have. So, tell us, what do you know about issues like this...or, are you one of them?

No, I'm not a teenager so you can save the "sonny" for someone else. At 64 I'm probably older than you, still working and damn well will at least till I'm 70 because I like my job.
Armed confrontations with them....Yes...last time was on the East end of the Cattermole Bridge...know where that is ??
My Dear Wife and I were returning from an LEH Moose hunt when we encountered a group of the "stewards of the land" busy removing the claws and gall bladder of a Black Bear cub. One thing led to another and we had half a dozen rifles pointed at us so we returned the greeting by doing the same.
I held my 35 Whelen on the mouthiest fellow and DW kept her 444 Marlin on another fellow's groin.... as luck would have it a Blazer with RCMP on the doors pulled up and everything soon cooled off.
The police just happened to be looking for this group having had a complaint regarding a stolen truck from some Pine mushroom pickers in the area, which "coincidentally" was being driven by these guys.
We were reprimanded for holding our ground until one "chap" was discovered to be a prison escapee from Alberta.
That was very scary especially for the Missus,so as a result I now hunt by myself.
As for your last question.....No I'm not one of "them"....and Yes I do agree with your opinion on the issue, just found your remark about the "helicopter gunship " funny...thats all.....

Happy New Year to You and Yours Dewey....and to All on the Forum !

A few comments from the illustrious mind of the dewmeister.


"I also find the bigotry of a certain type of "christian" to be just disgusting." A bigot (in modern usage) is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from their own or intolerant of people of different ethnicity, race, or class

".Al SharptCOON...???? You people are truely disgusting racists and are so typical of lower-class KKK scumbags that you make me want to puke."



"If, I came from a shithole like Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, the Carolinas or any other such place, with the racist, murderous and cowardly history of lynchings, burnings of churches, bombings and general white trash behaviour that y'all have, I would be a bit less inclined to mouth off at others....but, you ARE Yankees, so.........."

"No, I am a Canadian gentleman of proud pioneer ancestry, my wife's family participated in "The Underground Railway" in the 19thC. and I despise white trash like y'all.

I have a six figure income, retired at 55 and probably pay more in yearly income taxes than you earn for your activities as a "gay male hooker".

BTW, you KKK peckerwood, who is this Dennis Rodman?"

"When I was in highschool, in the 1960s, nice, churchgoing AMERICANS frequently LYNCHED, BOMBED and BURNT their FELLOW AMERICANS because they were Negros. I would consider ANY place that allows this behaviour to be a shithole and those who participated to be vermin.

A gentleman always tells the truth and this is the simple, factual truth. Remember the "Life Magazine" photos, as I do?"

"Oh, really, slavery was LEGAL in Canada AFTER it was destroyed by the "War Between the States"???? It was abolished here by various legislative acts from the late 18thC. to the early 19thC. and without a bloody "civil war"......

Vietnam vet baby killer sounds about right to me!"

"Hey, Gator, y'alls a good ole boy and maybe you might look just down the index here a bit and see REAL racism , posted by your buds here.

It sure was not here in Canada , where the KKK was founded............."

"Of course and I have no issue with you on that, however, it clearly demonstrates that I am NOT "fos" and make very sound and realistic comments. You should acknowledge this as failing to do so makes you a hypocrite."


"You Yankees are just a total joke and you are the laughingstock of all the Earth's peoples due to your warmongering, bragging and racist comments."

" NO, I have never killed another human and would not boast about it if I had. I HAVE been deliberately shot at and disarmed a pistol packing meathead with my bare hands, but, I would only kill someone if I had to....I am not a "psycho" as you certainly appear to be."
"Do go on, this is utterly fascinating, inasmuch as it parallels the "Wounded Knee" era, you remember, "Feebee's" shooting Lakotas....close to "YOUR" ,state, wasn't it?

There HAVE been SOME relatively minor injustices concerning aboriginal peoples here, nobody denies that. HOWEVER, my sanctimonious, hypocritical and Yankee friend, the ONLY "massacre-extirpation" of aboriginals WAS BY the very "Micmacs" who you use to bolster your false and gutter level comments and THEY slaughtered the "Beothuks" of Newfoundland.

BTW, are YOU a aboriginal, or, merely a leftist-liberal poseur who knows little history, less wildlife science and very little correct English? What you ARE, is an asshole who merely wants to bloviate here about BC hunting and you know sweet fuckall about it...or, it seems, much else.

So, carry on, just keep making false comments about Canada and telling yourself that pricks like you would be welcome to hunt here...not bloody likely"

"jb,

Do you EVER actually READ what you post? Your posts are illiterate and simply foolish and, as you admit, this is NOT your affair.

To constantly lecture me about this is simply going to make me that much more determined to see very harsh restrictions on American access to our wildlife and fish and it IS happening, now.

Whether YOU agree with me, or not, whether my ...commentary...IS flawed or not, means nothing. This is one relatively inactive forum where few Canadians post very often and most of the very few that comment on this are, well, if you can't figure it out............

Really, jb, perhaps you should enroll in some "remedial English composition" courses BEFORE continuing with your blether here?

Perhaps, you might care to comment on the photos in "Life Magazine" in the early '60s, of nice, well-dressed WHITE AMERICAN youths, on SUNDAYS, after CHURCH, you know, "In God We Trust" and all that, HANGING their neigbours because they were BLACK AMERICANS???? I'm crazy.... no pal, I remember the KKK, American Nazi Party, Lincoln Rockwell, Selma, "Ol' Miss" and all the rest of your sorry, recent, bloodsoaked past!"
"You are both Americans and WHO IN HELL are YOU, to presume to tell ME, what I should think about MY country and the traditional "Old Commonwealth" of which we are one of the four members. Maybe I should support the re-emergence of "The Confederate States of America?"

... racism... from YOU is a good one, I was in high school, during the 1960s when YOUR people in several of your southern states, in "The Land of the Free", were still LYNCHING your fellow citizens to death on Sundays after going to church BECAUSE of their RACE.....geezuz, you guys are beyond pathetic, you are simply nuts!"


"However, this only concerns we who OWN B.C. and WE simply do not want anyone hunting here, except ourselves and other Canadians ....simple, really."

the depth of hypocracy is astounding

quote:

Originally posted by kevan:

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
.

BTW, you impress me as being a teenager, with no real work, bush, gun or other experience. Have YOU ever dealt with armed, aggressive indians as a part of YOUR job, 'cause, sonny, I have. So, tell us, what do you know about issues like this...or, are you one of them?

No, I'm not a teenager so you can save the "sonny" for someone else. At 64 I'm probably older than you, still working and damn well will at least till I'm 70 because I like my job.
Armed confrontations with them....Yes...last time was on the East end of the Cattermole Bridge...know where that is ??
My Dear Wife and I were returning from an LEH Moose hunt when we encountered a group of the "stewards of the land" busy removing the claws and gall bladder of a Black Bear cub. One thing led to another and we had half a dozen rifles pointed at us so we returned the greeting by doing the same.
I held my 35 Whelen on the mouthiest fellow and DW kept her 444 Marlin on another fellow's groin.... as luck would have it a Blazer with RCMP on the doors pulled up and everything soon cooled off.
The police just happened to be looking for this group having had a complaint regarding a stolen truck from some Pine mushroom pickers in the area, which "coincidentally" was being driven by these guys.
We were reprimanded for holding our ground until one "chap" was discovered to be a prison escapee from Alberta.
That was very scary especially for the Missus,so as a result I now hunt by myself.
As for your last question.....No I'm not one of "them"....and Yes I do agree with your opinion on the issue, just found your remark about the "helicopter gunship " funny...thats all.....

Happy New Year to You and Yours Dewey....and to All on the Forum !

Understood, post edited to reflect that and my apologies for the misunderstanding. So, you are another of we "Baby Boomers" here in BC/Canada who has finally had enough and now supports the use of military force against these terrorists; we are, btw, of the same age as I am 63.5, but, getting younger!

Are you, as I am, one who USED to believe in the false rhetoric of the radical indian "leaders" here about aboriginal problems...UNTIL, getting out there and SEEING what REALLY is happening? The gunship reference was, obviously, a deliberately exaggerated "figure of speech", but, as I posted, I know a LOT of people our age who now support this attitude and who USED to be all about "love and peace".......we grew up, I guess.

The bridge, is that on the way down to Post Creek and near where the fighting "warriors" of the "Stolo" bunch held the Federal Fisheries workers by force a couple of years ago? THERE, was an incident where a platoon of the PPCLI could have done some real work and cleaned out that whole gang of criminal poachers and Salmon killing scumbags.

It's coming, no question; while the threads on HBC concerning this issue are tightly "modded" and even sometimes deleted totally, the growing resentment of criminal aborigines is obvious....and things will "heat up" this summer, so, keep your "defence" real handy......

Happy New Year to you and yours, as well, it should be a real interesting one, when the Olympics boondoggle gets underway and we see just what the aboriginals will do....wanna bet that the VANOC-government helis wont' be deployed if they demonstrate as they threaten to do?

Geez, feel fairly safe where I am.

Yes - we have problems with some of the younger abs. I've not yet met an 'elder' who condones what some of the radical younger's do.

Yes - we have trouble with back-stabbing supervisors - doesn't matter if you're in Forestry, Corrections or the RCMPolice. Been all and observed this in all branches.

But - WOW - chopper gunships. C'mon, Dewey bit extreme, eh. (I secretly which I had one for wolf hunting, that is)

Have you ever heard of self-styled "warrior", Ovide Mercredi, the "chief" of the so-called "assembly of first nations", who, while receiving $85,000 per annum of "whiteman's" tax dollars, repeatedly stated that he wanted, "the warrior way"?

How about current "grand chief" Stewart Philip, of the so-called "assembly of BC indian chief's", who, only a decade or so ago, had his "young warriors", dig rifle pits beside Highway 97 in the Okanogan to support their land claims demands?

What about "Oka", "Gustafsen Lake", "Caledonia" and many other such atrocities where the "elders" instructed the youthful zealots in violence against the hated "whitey", as they call us?

Perhaps you have heard of the racist, violent and halfbreed, "chief" Bill Wilson and his drunken diatribes against, "homely, diseased, smelly people in boats" who came here from Europe. One of this mouthy little savage's remarks, in 1991, was "we should have killed you all" and he is my age, older than you are.

Wilson, in particular, is an obnoxious and boastful little windbag; he is a LAWYER, yet, he openly advocates social violence and makes extremely racist comments quite frequently. Even former Chief Gail Sparrow have spoken out in the national, Vancouver-based media against his vile behaviour.

It is these "leaders", who have influenced the aboriginal youth who currently do things such as the various killings of "whiteboys" in BC....the lad who was dragged to death in Maple Ridge a couple of years back and the young buck who did it KNEW the boy was under his car and laughed about it to his fellow aboriginals who were with him......

No, I have seen a LOT of this and all I can say is that "gunships" might not be enough, perhaps, we need tanks, as well!

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
Have you ever heard of self-styled "warrior",

You mean the same way you are a self-styled "viking"?

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
Wilson, in particular, is an obnoxious and boastful little windbag; he is a LAWYER, yet, he openly advocates social violence and makes extremely racist comments quite frequently.

You do realize that EXACTLY the same thing is what you do on a daily basis don't you dewey?

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
It is these "leaders", who have influenced the aboriginal youth who currently do things such as the various killings of "whiteboys" in BC....the lad who was dragged to death in Maple Ridge a couple of years back and the young buck who did it KNEW the boy was under his car and laughed about it to his fellow aboriginals who were with him......

So the Maple Ridge Gas and Dash was part of a racially motivated conspiracy then?

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:

No, I have seen a LOT of this and all I can say is that "gunships" might not be enough, perhaps, we need tanks, as well!

If that is the sort of thing you have "seen" then no wonder you have the fear that you exhibit.....

As I recollect, Kipling said it best in "White Man's Burden" quite some time ago! What ever you say, the native Canadians or Americans are NOT stupid. They know the system and use it for all it's worth. We do the same every time we file our income tax returns BTW. Australians have the same problems with their native "Aborigines". I agree that the helicopter gun ships comment was just plain stupid. Laws need to be enforced for all residents. No one needs to be cut a break. However, when political appointees get involved anything can happen. The other side however, is that government employees sometimes think that they are answerable to no one, when they are! Not sure how to solve this kind of problem.
Peter.

The situation concerning aboriginal treatment in the three English-speaking nations you refer to has been historically very different and there is no valid comparison between the ruthless slaughter of aboriginals in Australia and the USA and the comparatively benign treatment here in Canada.

I am willing to post very precise and accurate details of the historical situations I mention to substantiate my comments. While I am sure that you are a person of superior intellect and great learning, I would avoid the term, ...stupid... in reference to any other poster if I were you, as it tends to "come back to bite you in the ass", to use the current vernacular.

What is your actual experience with Canadian-British Columbian resource management personnel, who are hired by examination and merit and are not merely appointed. The exams I wrote were far more detailed and difficult than those I wrote to enter UBC or the college I first attended; I "made the grade" on each set of these and was hired and thus know about this by personal experience.

BTW, given your familiarity with Rudyard, can you tell me which very famous war memorial he wrote an inscription for? His works were actually based on rather more than ...the white...etc.

Dewey, I have no desire to get in a pissing contest with you. I did not say YOU were stupid. I said your COMMENT was stupid. My statement still stands. If you cannot see the difference then I am afraid someone else will have to help you.
Peter.
PS. No I don't know what very famous war memorial Kipling wrote an inscription for. However a quick Google shows that he selected a quote from Ecclesiasticus. One line from a very famous quote beginning "Let us now praise famous men..." said every year on All Souls Day. So what?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by jb:
the depth of hypocracy is astounding

LOL - What a mess!!!

Let's see; we have Injuns, conservation officers, gov't officials, unions and politicians all involved.

Bet I can pickout the loser right now!



THE CANADIAN PEOPLE!

That, sir, is EXACTLY what has been and is happening and, after firsthand experience with it, many of us are REALLY PISSED OFF and tend to "vent" a little.......

Many of the best conservation officers, foresters and so forth I know who often put in lots of unpaid O/T out of love for the work and the wildlife, fish and environment, now are just eager to retire and get out a.s.a.p......

Sad, eh.