I have no issues with the gentleman from the Netherlands, but, I will say that you, "Hoehne" if you act in this country as you speak are exactly the kind of immigrant that Canada needs and I want to have here. You may be mistaken in this instance, but, your heart is in the right place and you are right about the situation concerning foreigners in B.C. and their rip-off of our wildlife and fish resources-I spent many years in the resource management agencies of this province and some time in Alberta as well and I could tell you stories. But, many aboriginal and nativeborn Canadians are just as bad.

Keep up the patriotic attitude, it is much too rare in Canada today which is why the oil from "Tar Island" as we called it in the '60s when my uncle and my brother worked there, is flowing south with minimal benefits to us, how typical, eh?

BTW, I was born here, my family pioneered in B.C. in 1870 and my mother's ancestors came here from Argyllshire, Scotland starting about 1660; I am the grandson of a volunteer Canadian officer, badly wounded in WW1 and five men in my family volunteered in WW2, two of them were wounded.I think that ANYONE who is LEGALLY in Canada should contact the M.L.A.s, god knows the phoney refugees and visible minorities do it, whether they are legal or not!

I think that our current immigration situation is a sad joke, however, that is NOT intended as a slight on Mr. Martin Hin or Mr. Deipstraten. We need an honest debate about immigration issues and how they affect conservation in Canada and the USA; I hope others will offer input.

Kutenay, i would like to respond on the immigration issue in this post. First the venemous attack from Hoehne toward Frans. They both seem to know each other and it sounds like there is more to it than we know. Hoehme as a dutch immigrant knows that it takes, as far as I know five years to be able to get your Can. citizenship. As far as Frans becoming a tax paying business man in Can., (outfitter)I haven't seen many outfitters with Ferraris.

On the immigration issue, it's a two way street. The country recieving the immigrant as well as the immigrant should benifit from it, meaning to say if I as a western european decide to leave my overpopulated industrialized country and in the process downgrade my social benifits and healthcare in trade for having more personal freedom,more space,smaller towns and pick up trucks with guns in the back window and above all living in the most beautiful country in the world then I think that makes me a motivated immigrant ,not a piece of paper stating I am Canadian.
Lets not forget that I chose to come to Canada and did something about it,unlike 20 or so million Canadians who are just here.
I in return will give my new country my knowledge and tax money.

The immigrants that come to a country strictly for better economical status and are not willing to adapt to the way's of the new country are undermining the country's culture.
I therefore am a firm believer in foreign aid and tighter immigration laws.
One can't blame the people for trying to better their lives so I think we should help them to do just that at home.

It is very naive for a well traveled Canadian to think for a moment, that fifty years from now Canada will not become as overpopulated as Europe is today, if we don't.
The whole world is looking to this big empty land.

Regards Martin

First off, I don't know hoehne. His profile states Cochrane, AB, and that is where I live. For all I know he might be my neighbour, we have no past.

Again I do not feel I have to defend my presence in Canada, nor disclose my reasons for coming here, nor the activities that I started up to make a living. Let it be enough to say that my mainstay involves trying to save resources, not sell-off, rip-out, or whatever statements others want to use.

Confuse the issue with bad examples from your own experience if you wish, but keep in mind that only by a concerted effort you are going to keep the rights that you may or may not want to share with immigrants for yourselves.

Or maybe not, take a chance. I quote again the situation in The Netherlands, where the hunting community was lulled into believing all was well, until we figured out that the new law was *not* in our interest. All it took was *one* cabinet without a certain party involved. This party has strong bonds with the agricultural community, and though not particularly pro-hunting, would never touch the subject of changes the hunting law. That is *one* stroll to the voting booth.

Maybe I am out of line contacting elected officials, since I haven't voted for or against them personally. Maybe I'll just sit and vegetate for three years, until I get the right to become Canadian. Or maybe I will try to get involved just the same, and act according to my believes.

Frans

P.S. Where I used the word "you" in my rant, I meant nobody in particular...just stating my case.

I think that you most emphatically SHOULD contact elected representatives here in Canada, your not being a citizen as yet has nothing to do with it. If, you are "good enough" to be a landed immigrant and pay taxes, then I feel that you have the moral right to express your views on anything you wish to, period.

My enthusiasm for "Hoehne"s" comments was simply because he expressed such strong, positive feelings about becoming a Canadian citizen and mentioned the problems we face here in B.C.; I really like to see that as in recent years I have heard far too many immigrants lecture we Canadians about what is wrong with this country. I am tired of having jerks from third world shitholes criticize my home and native land.

The point here, IMO, is that immigration to this country is a privilege, not a right, and far too many people now do not respect this fact- Martin Hin is 110% correct in his comments about this. So, go and give those politicos hell on high wheels, we are up against it as hunters and we all need to stick together.

Regards, KMB

And so we close ranks!

I received the following message from the MLA's office:

"Thank you for your email regarding the grizzly bear hunt.

Your comments and concerns have been forwarded to Mrs. Tarchuk who has shared them with Honourable Mike Cardinal, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) for his consideration.

The Minister has not made any final decisions on this years hunt until SRD biologists have completed a review on mortality data for grizzly bears in 2003.

Once again thank you for providing your input on this matter."

Cheers,

Frans