Its time to change this bad law.
Did you know that a lot of hunted game meat ends up in landfill? This is not something we Canadians should be proud of, but the law that causes this waste was crafted with the best of intentions.
To thwart poaching, Canadian lawmakers made it illegal to sell game meat, or stock, or charcuterie or any other part of an indigenous creature. And this appears to solve the problem until we look at how that creature is processed.
Now most folks who like to kill animals don’t do it for food, and a surprising number don’t care to eat the meat at all and want to pay the very least they can for butchering. Our local meat cutters are kept pretty busy for a few weeks dealing with this sudden spike in demand, and they offer bargain pricing for main cuts and pepperettes, but the rest of the carcasses end up in our town dumps, and that is quite a lot of what I consider a sacred meat.
To come from England to Canada is a bit like stepping back in time, because long ago there would have been deer and other game in England, until too much hunting by too many hungry people wiped out the local stocks. But that game abounds in Canada. We even take it for granted but perhaps we shouldn’t.
Perhaps we could allow enterprising butchers to extend the value of this animal so that we don’t have to waste so much of this wonderful resource.
Next week the main hunting season comes to a close and it will be safe to resume my walks along the shores of the beautiful rochefendu stretch of the Ottawa river with its lovely deer and bear. There’s a move afoot amongst kayakers to get river access without having to pay the local resorts, and although nobody wants to discourage opening up our shorelines, I believe that a federal or provincial park is a more meaningful goal for our public than merely a couple of road allowances for kayakers. It is a perfect place for a park and an easy one hour drive from Ottawa.
Perhaps the day will come when visitors to our lovely region will be able to enjoy the shoreline walks followed by a venison charcuterie plate and a beer at the local brewpub. Worth fighting for?
Simon Tunley
