Last fall I wrote about a landowner who was having trouble with geese flocking to his water reservoir and polluting the water. He had tried almost every technique and nothing worked. He wanted to know if he could obtain a special permit to shoot the geese.
Regulations under the Migratory Birds Act allow for a special permit to hunt migratory birds if they are a nuisance and cannot be scared away by any other means. I reported that such permits were extremely rare.
This prompted a response from a reader with an alternate solution. When faced with a similar problem, he strung rows of baler twine three metres apart above the water. This discouraged the birds from landing but still allowed the cattle to drink. He also suggested a loop, with no twine at one end to allow cattle to water. Of course, as he pointed out, this will not work on a large body of water. I thank Willie Klemsassen from Biggar, Sask., for this suggestion.
Read Also
Stock dogs show off herding skills at Ag in Motion
Stock dogs draw a crowd at Ag in Motion. Border collies and other herding breeds are well known for the work they do on the farm.
Definition of decency
Last spring I wrote a column on public decency. At issue was whether women who appeared topless were offending criminal code provisions against public indecency. Courts in several provinces, including Ontario and Saskatchewan, have ruled that a woman who is topless in public is not violating the criminal code.
However, this does not mean that dress restrictions can’t be enforced in appropriate circumstances. A
Regina woman who insisted on swimming topless in a city pool after being advised it would be contrary to city policy was charged with mischief. Mischief is an action that interferes with public order and can include picketers blocking access to a business, calling in a false 911 alarm and placing a barricade on a road.
In this case, the courts found that the woman’s actions amounted to mischief. However, the court left open the question of whether the city had the constitutional authority to enforce a dress code. That point was not argued before the courts.
Discipline professionals
On several occasions I have written on disciplinary matters within the professions. The question is whether professionals are in the best position to
discipline their own members.
The matter was again highlighted in a disciplinary action against a Saskatoon teacher who had sent lewd e-mails to his female students. While the matter was dealt with by the school board and investigated by the police, by provincial law the issue of whether his licence should be suspended was a matter within the
jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation. Its professional ethics committee decided to recommend a five-year suspension to the education minister, a decision that some members of the public disagreed with. Reasons for the ruling were not made public. As Star-Phoenix columnist Randy Burton pointed out: “Such is the inherent conflict of interest within the STF. As the teacher’s union, its responsibility is to
defend teachers’ interests. Yet as a disciplinary body, the STF is supposed to levy penalties for professional misconduct. … (it) cannot credibly do both.”
Rules dealing with how professions operate are set out in provincial law. If the manner in which discipline within professional bodies is to be changed, provinces would have to amend their legislation.
Court proceedings, files
Court proceedings and records are public other than for cases with juvenile offenders. This means you can sit in on any court proceedings or examine any court files, although usually for a fee.
Your neighbor Able has sued John over the sale of some cattle. As a member of the public, you would be entitled to go to the courthouse and examine the statement of claim, statement of defence and any other documents in the court file.
However, the courts have the power to bar access to files, particularly in matrimonial matters. Saskatchewan courts have enacted a rule barring access to all files relating to matrimonial disputes. Such files contain details of the couple’s financial affairs and may include allegations of adultery or cruelty. While the file will be private, the court hearing, unless otherwise ordered, will remain open to the public and any written decision will also be public.
