Letters to the Editor, Chronicle-Herald, June 9 (Subscription required)
Nova Scotians outside the HRM sometimes shake their heads and say, “Halifax gets everything.” But sometimes that’s a good thing. For instance, I’m a Cape Bretoner who is very glad that Circus Mondo, which is coming to Halifax June 10th and 11th, will avoid the CBRM.
A Cape Breton group, CARES (Capers Animal Rights and Ethics Society), was formed in June 2010 in response to advertisements for Cirque Estival (different name, same animals and same owners). Our goal was to prevent circuses with animals from coming to the CBRM and hence bring our municipality in line with Argyle, Bridgewater, Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth which all have bylaws to that effect.
The CBRM councilors listened carefully to our case against circuses with animals and have shown strong support for this progressive measure. Yet a bylaw is not enacted overnight and on May 14th, when a proposed by-law was to be given final reading, the director of the Bomanville Zoo (Ontario) that supplies the animals to Circus Mondo, appeared at the Council meeting with a letter from a solicitor indicating that the CBRM will be sued “to the tune of six figures” if a bylaw was passed. His case for the illegality of such a by-law is weak and we are confident that our councilors will stand strong in the fact of threats.
In the meantime, CARES urges the HRM to catch up with more progressive Nova Scotian municipalities. Contact your own councilors and ask them to consider a bylaw disallowing this Dickensian form of entertainment. Increasingly, North Americans are entertained by very profitable and exciting circuses that do not require the systematic humiliation of non-human animals. Set an example for your children. Since these animals cannot speak for themselves, I hope the people of Halifax will follow the lead of other Nova Scotians and speak for them.
Bev Niven
CARES Co-founder