THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
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Vol. 65, Issue 38
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SPCA tackles local stray cat population T R E VO R C R AW LE Y
Cranbrook has a cat problem. “Cat problem” may be a bit extreme, but the city has one of the highest cat populations per capita in the province, according to Brenna Baker, the manager of the B.C. SPCA East Kootenay branch. With that in mind, Baker approached the city at a council meeting on Monday night to help promote a cat spay and neuter program. Last June, the East Kootenay SPCA branch received a $83,000 PetSmart grant and has only spent $20,000 to date. Baker is hoping to give the funding a little more profile, which allows the SPCA to spay and neuter stray cats as well as cats that the public bring in who may not be able to afford the procedure. For low-income people who want to spay and neuter their cat, they can bring it in
TOWNSMAN FILE PHOTO
The EK SPCA has approached City Council to help promote a cat spay and neuter program. to the SPCA and staff will make an appointment at a local veterinarian and give them a voucher. The SPCA asks for a $40 donation, however, that can be waived if it’s unaffordable to the cat owner. “So, we know that low-income residents are half as likely to spay and neuter their animals with affordability, accessibility and at-
titude ranking the highest barriers to getting their animals spayed and neutered and this is why we’re launching this funding,” said Baker. Last year, the East Kootenay SPCA branch took in 552 cats and kittens: 214 of which were surrendered by owners, the rest were strays.
See STRAY, Page 3
City of Cranbrook removing trees downtown, Rotary Park TRE VOR CR AWLEY
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
Cranbrook’s most important (arguably) piece of street art is tucked away just out of sight near Cranbrook. The piece is by the internationally renowned Canadian artist DENIAL (Daniel Bombardier), who presented it to the East Kootenay while on the “One of A Kind Show” tour, from Ontario to Vancouver in 2011. DENIAL is the founder of Enjoy Denial, an international artists collective. Contacted by the Townsman for a statement, DENIAL responded: “Enjoy Denial is a collective of artists all working together for a common goal of spreading our art and messages across the globe. Our art works challenge the audience to question everything about the work including its very placement and locale. We appropriate useless/dead space for our messaging most of the time. Our work also serves to inspire creativity even in the most unlikely of places, such as under a bridge.”
The City of Cranbrook is removing some trees in the downtown core on Baker St., with city staff completing the work on Tuesday. Public Works will continue to be out on Thursday morning, as crews are scheduled to remove the root balls from the planters, added Chris Zettel, the communications officer for the City of Cranbrook. “Over the last number of months, even in the last fall, our public works staff—our
resident arborist—he tours the parks and city spaces and takes stock of the trees and those sorts of things. It appears that a handful of trees along Baker Street and a few in Rotary Park were looking in pretty poor shape and the decision was made to remove them. “Really it’s just a safety thing. There are concerns with branches coming down on people or vehicle with windstorms—the trees come down quite easily.” Zettel said there are plans
in the works to get some new trees in place in the next few months. “Later on in the summer, we’ll plant some new trees,” Zettel said. “The ones that are being taken out on Baker Street and in Rotary Park in the next month or so will be replaced.” In addition to work on Baker St., additional dead or dying trees are set to be removed from Rotary Park sometime over the next month. Public Works will be replacing those trees as well.
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