1. WHEREAS on September 1996 the Park Board passed a motion in agreement
with the aquarium that the Aquarium would not capture any more cetaceans
from the wild or import them from other Aquariums which had captured
them in the wild;
AND WHEREAS Aquarium Director John Nightingale has publicly stated
that the Aquarium would like to obtain 2 or 3 young orcas;
WHEREAS presumably the Park Commissioners would object to a young
creature being abducted from her mother and close knit family group
to live in an area which in human terms if the size of a shower staff
fro the rest of her life;
WHEREAS the citizens of Vancouver, whenever given the opportunity,
express, in their majority, their opposition to the imprisonment of
nature's children;
AND WHEREAS the rational behind keeping animals in captivity for
educational purposes is faulty scientifically, educationally and ethically;
AND WHEREAS as Park Commissioners we should be looking towards the
future, not the past in terms of our strategic planning for Vancouver
parks.
Be It Resolved that Vancouver Park Board amend the Aquarium by-law
of 1996 to prohibit the importation of young whales abducted from
their mothers and families, and that we pass this motion immediately,
before another tragedy occurs.
WHEREAS the meeting of the Vancouver Park Board on February 21, 2000
was not run according to the Vancouver Charter, and by-laws pertaining
to Council and the Park Board, disallowing debate and voting to one
of the Commissioners, and therefore denying the 31, 694 Vancouver
voters who voted for her their voice and their vote;
AND WHEREAS the 5 NPA Commissioners present violated their oath of
office and their mandate as Park Board Commissioners
Be It Resolved that the NPA Vice Chair Laura McDiarmid resign from
her position as Vice Chair, and,
THAT NPA Commissioners McDiarmid, De Genova, Ledingham, Hansen and
Richardson resign from their positions as Park Board Commissioners
effective immediately.