ollie Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Can't find an online source other than an Ottawa Citizen $$$ article but apparently the cat sanctuary behind parliament hill was ransacked. Anyone have more information? People suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 ....I'm up on the Hill, I'll go check it out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 I managed to jack the article. It happened over the weekend. Hill's celebrated cat refuge ransacked Vandals kick, tear apart feline haven Bruce Ward The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, November 02, 2004 Most days, Rene Chartrand, who turns 84 next month, is still able to bring food to the celebrated cat sanctuary he tends behind Parliament Hill. But it's a blessing of sorts that he wasn't around last Saturday morning when volunteer Klaus Gerken showed up as usual to help care for the approximately 20 feral cats that comprise Mr. Chartrand's colony. What Mr. Gerken saw filled him with anger and disgust. "Everything that wasn't tied down was torn open and kicked down the hill, and strewn all over the place," he said yesterday. "I don't know why anyone would be that angry to go in there and do something as stupid as that." A decorative well used for storage was lying at the bottom of a hill near the site, which is behind a fence west of the Centre Block. Mr. Gerken reported the damage to the RCMP. "I fixed it up as best I could. One of the officers said he was going to take a look at the tapes from the (surveillance) cameras. But it seems like there's no security." Cpl. Nathalie Deschenes, an RCMP spokeswoman, said police do not consider the incident a breach of security. "We're still looking into it. Officers went with Mr. Chartrand (yesterday) to look at it, and they talked about how maybe the wind could have caused it. There were people working there overnight (Friday) and they didn't see anything." However, according to Environment Canada, winds on Saturday were "mild" at best. The environmental monitoring arm of the federal government said winds didn't top 15 kilometres an hour on Saturday. In order to be considered severe, winds must gust above 90 kilometres an hour. Mr. Gerken, along with Brian Caines and a few other volunteers, help Mr. Chartrand maintain the sanctuary. Mr. Caines was on the job yesterday at lunchtime, as he is every weekday. "Rene is doing really well," said Mr. Caines. "It's surprising that someone at his age can still climb over that fence like he's 16 years old." But his health took a turn for the worse last year, said Mr. Gerken. "Rene is still there almost every day. But last year, he had a bad year. They took him to hospital four or five times. So Brian Caines, myself and a few others decided to put together a support team to keep tabs on Rene and the cats. So if anything happens to Rene, we can take over. That seemed to work pretty well." In the late 1970s, a woman named Irene Desormeaux began feeding a large number of stray cats that roamed the area. She died in 1987 and Mr. Chartrand, a retired house painter, took on the task. Mr. Chartrand has built a shelter and keeps it filled with straw to help the cats survive Ottawa's brutal winters. He also regularly puts out bowls of food, as do the other volunteers. Mr. Chartrand's work is chronicled on the government's website. "The contrast between these modest shelters and the formality and tradition of the Parliament Buildings is a symbol of compassion, one of the important elements of Canadian society," says a page devoted to the "cat sanctuary" on the website. Tourists visit the sanctuary "by the hundreds," said Mr. Gerken. "I've spoken to Japanese tourists who ha ve come to Ottawa just to see the cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Huxtable Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 That is truly awful. What motive could there possibly be for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 i think it's inexcusable that there is no security around the buildings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakis Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Thats awfull..I hope they find out who did this and bring them to justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Stupid drunk people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewie Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 i think it's inexcusable that there is no security around the buildings. i personally like that about parliament hill. i think it signifies a more open and safe society... it's the complete opposite of washington dc, and that's a-ok in my books. and i hate cats with a passion but that's still a mean thing to do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Huxtable Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 How can you hate kitties? Come on Chewie, they're so cuddly and cute and flowery and mwah, kissy, kissy, snuggle bunny. You're a good little boy aren't you. Yes you are little itty bitty witty kitty. Oh so cute!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 no - i dont agree chewie - i am not envisioning barbed wire and armed guards no - i am in total agreement with you that far - but when idiots are throwing a bunch of stuff down the hill - it's got to be causing a ruckous for at least 10 minutes - somebody should be close enough to be able to notice and stop that crap on the hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 This really upsets me!! I LOVE Kitties SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 DAMMIT! Why would someone do something like this? Volunteers founded and continued this sanctuary for decades. How could someone be so heartless? It's not just about the cats (and you know how much I love cats), it's about the dedicated souls that put their love into this place. Their hearts must be torn right now. And those cats must have been terrified when it was happening. They are so accustomed to strangers approaching them. I can't help but wonder if their demeaner will change from this. (Ms. Hux - I've found a new signature!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneMtn Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 This story is absolutely disgusting. I certainly hope that some of you who live in Ottawa will take the time to write to your local politicians to ensure that the investigation into who did this is properly carried out. In my experience these investigations are usually "too costly" to bother with, and it requires local voters to put pressure on local politicians to get this done. If a proper investigation is done, there is then potential for criminal charges to be brought. If, however, no one forces the issue, in all likelihood it will be brushed aside and never addressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 I'd love to do something....where do I start? what do I do? (aside from writing the letter, how do I actually get someone to read it? signatures?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 I would write too, but I have the same questions....who do you send it to?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 let's just write it up and then when we figure out the logistics, we'll be able to act upon it asap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 some examples of "we-want-a-proper-investigation" papers would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneMtn Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 I would write, directly, to the Attorney General c/o the Department of Justice. As well, your local police chief would be a good place to start as well as the mayor of Ottawa. If you hit all of those, you are likely to get some action; especially if you follow up your letter with another letter one week later saying, "Further to my letter dated x date, I am yet to receive a response to my query regarding the status of the investigation into..."If you are annoying enough, you'll get an answer. If you find that you get no answer after a couple of letters, it is not a bad idea to forward copies of all the letters you wrote to the Ottawa Citizen, and send a copy of that cover letter to the people who ignored you originally. As they say, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". Let's be squeaky; people!(I would gladly write a letter myself, and probably will do so, but I expect that a letter originating in Whistler will be immediately filed in the "round filing cabinet" next to the recipient's desk.)ADDITION BY STONEMTN: As I posted the above, it just occurred to me that I act for Whistler's animal shelter as advisory counsel. Although I doubt a letter from anyone in Whistler will have much impact, I will contact my client (the animal shelter) and arrange for a letter to come from them. That is just the sort of letter that politicians hate to read copies of in the local paper next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Thanks SM. I may send you my letter for review if you don't mind...I just wanna make sure that I'll be taken seriously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneMtn Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 I will gladly read and provide comments on any letter any of you wish to send. PM a copy to me, and I will read it immediately. (In case you haven't guessed, I'm a bit of a pushover when it comes to animals.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 hey hux....did you go check it out? findings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuleMomma Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 This is despicable :: Every Halloween I fear for the fate of stray cats and basically any animals outside having to defend themselves against possible troublemakers and unnecessary mischief, or worse. My neighbour just told me about someone she knows with a farm who has sheep go missing every Halloween...this makes me so sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 You can say that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Try the NCC too - those cats are actually a tourist attraction - and for something like this to happen in the fall (i think we have tourists in the fall to see the colours etc.) looks really bad for our city. Is there anyone specifically incharge of security on the hill? you could send a copy to them too and to the newspapers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneMtn Posted November 4, 2004 Report Share Posted November 4, 2004 Today, while I was speaking with the Director of my client, the animal shelter in Whistler, she told me that she received a call from Vancouver by a woman who told her that this Hallowe'en local kids were strapping fireworks to cats. Sick. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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