Re: “Keep dogs off Baker” January 18, 2012.
M. Bailey thinks “the dog bylaw came about because dogs were not kept on leashes.” No, the dog bylaw came about because, at the end of the last century a group of young travellers who attended a band concert decided to hang out in Nelson.
We had a right-wing mayor at the time and the idea of dreadlocks, hacky sacks, drums and Mexican blankets on Baker Street was anathema. But it is politically incorrect to call people “hippies” and human rights does not allow for marching them off to jail, so council passed a by-law banning hacky sacks and drums on the streets of Nelson. This didn’t get rid of the youngsters who hung out on the benches outside CIBC. So the city tried hosing down the benches every hour or two. This didn’t work either. Now, one or two of the kids had dogs, so ban dogs and you ban the kids. That’s why the dog by-law came into effect.
The youngsters moved on after the summer for happier pastures and we are left with an idiotic bylaw that puts off tourists and gives us a reputation as a town of nutters.
What I wonder is, how do people like M. Bailey manage in other towns? Are they pounced on by Great Danes and Irish Setters? Are all the children cowering in doorways as a Bichon Frise walks by? How on earth do these towns manage? And, just imagine, they even leave out bowls of water!
J.L. Craig
Nelson