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CBC: Proud Supporter of Northern Animal Cruelty |
If you can shoot it, skin it, harpoon it, or hook it up to a sled CBC wants to hear about it! In the last year on CBC Yukon, we have heard multi-part documentaries, glorifying the world of sled dogs (a repeat of an 'award-winning' 2001 'dog mushing propaganda' piece by CBC Yellowknife's Dave Miller, about sled dogs being replaced by snowmobiles) and trapping (a recent documentary 'Out of the Shadows', also by Dave Miller, about trapping wolverines). It should also be noted that, from long time observation, the reporters VERY RARELY contact animal rights authorities to get the other side of the story: [Aired on CBC National Radio program 'Sunday Edition', on March 11, 2007] PROMO: According to Chipewyan legend, the wolverine used to be an ogre who survived on human flesh, until a great medicine man ordered him to stop. "How will I survive?" the wolverine asked. "By stealing," said the medicine man. And so the wolverine became a thief, haunting winter traplines and living off the sweat of trappers' brows. People in modern times hunted the wolverine until there weren't any to be found east of Ontario or south of the Boreal forest. But the Chipewyan at the east end of Great Slave Lake still hunt the wolverine, where it is not endangered. They do it now mostly for its frost-resistant fur, so prized as parka trim that the fur auctions rarely see a hair. As the South heads toward spring, the Chipewyan are still at their traps and the wolverines are still trying to outsmart them. It can be a harsh relationship, even grisly. But it retains elements of poetry. [Ed Note: bold italics mine] Dave Miller of CBC Yellowknife has captured the tenor of that relationship in his documentary, "Out of The Shadows." The voices of Pierre Marlowe, the late Helen Toby and Philippe Goulet, all Chipewyan elders from the Northwest Territories. English translation was provided Peter Hope, Alice Mackenzie and Tony Buggins of CBC Yellowknife. "Out of The Shadows" first aired throughout the Northwest Territories in February. It was produced by Dave Miller. In late August of 2006, a local Whitehorse hunter, who won by lottery a 'special opportunity' to hunt trophy Big Horn Sheep in the Yukon's Kluane Game Sanctuary, was interviewed by the CBC Yukon afternoon show host. The announcer sounded like a child having a bedtime story recited to him, judging by his obvious enthralled state. Apparently, the brave hunter had taken his young daughters along with him on the hunt to instill in them the 'sport' of killing an animal, simply to put its head on a living room wall. Susan Stanley, one of CBC Yukon's reporters, covered the Dawson City Fur Show in January, 2007 and related how thrilled she was to be able to socialize with the colourful characters involved in the trapping industry. At the end of her report, she expressed how much she would love to actually get out on the trail with a trapper. Sorry, but I can't imagine something I would want to see less than an animal who has experienced horrendous suffering before dying. Whenever the Yukon Quest organization 'passes gas', there is no shortage of CBC Yukon reporters like Leonard Linklater, eagerly sniffing around for a chance to help promote the Quest race. Transcription of April 2, 2007 CBC Yukon radio report by Leonard Linklater: [Linklater] The gauntlet has been thrown down in dog mushing circles by the winner of both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod races. The double win by Lance Mackey has boosted the profile of the race between Whitehorse and Fairbanks. That's making Yukon Quest organizers very happy. [Julie Estey] "Absolutely, I'm optimistic." [Linklater] Julie Estey is bubbling with enthusiasm. The Executive Director of the Yukon Quest Alaska office says they've been fielding inquiries about the Yukon Quest since this year's champion Lance Mackey won the much higher profile Iditarod. [Estey] "Folks that have been following the Iditarod more closely than the Yukon Quest, once their champion had won both, have just really taken a new interest in the Yukon Quest. We've been getting e-mails and phone calls from really all over the world." [Linklater] Estey's hoping that will mean more sponsorships for Alaska mushers who might respond to Mackey's challenge after he won the Iditarod. [Estey] "And there were several questions about the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod and the difference between running the two, and at that point Lance challenged all the Iditarod mushers to get out and run the Yukon Quest as well." [Linklater] She's hoping that will boost the numbers from this year's 28 entries to the maximum of 50 allowed. After all, the next race will be the 25th running of the Yukon Quest. CBC and major race sponsor Tourism Yukon aside (the Quest should actually be renamed the CBC Yukon Tourism Quest), not every Yukoner (or Alaskan) considers Lance Mackey and his band of Iditarod cowboys and cowgirls to be heroes, or people fit to be built up as role models for modern society. How about Mr. Mackey and his friends stay on their own damn side of the border (where the Yukon Quest was 'invented') and we will gladly have CBC North headquarters transferred to Fairbanks, Alaska ("dog mushing/hunting/trapping capital of the world"). CBC will be 'truly in their element' in such surroundings. Sounds like a 'win-win' situation to me. To help spread sled dog racing evangelism, CBC Iqaluit's Patricia Bell had a national story about a new race in Nunavut, the Qimualaniq Quest (to add to the other 'northern opportunities to run the hell out of sled dogs' - the Yukon, and Hudson Bay Quests). The reporter swallows 'hook, line, and sinker' the garbage spewed out by the sled dog racing industry about how racing these dogs for extreme distances in extreme conditions celebrates northern tradition and is a positive societal goal for northerners. The territory of Nunavut should take some steps to improve its non-existent animal protection laws before allowing more sled dogs to be (irresponsibly) bred for sport and entertainment purposes. As for CBC, this organization needs to stop flagrantly and irresponsibly flaunting its corporate favourable predisposition to events and activities that cause pain, suffering and death to animals. SMARTEN UP, PEOPLE! (SleddogWatchdog.com web administrator) JULY 20TH, 2007 UPDATE - 'Christmas in July': CBC is very excited about the Jamaica dog sled team, who will be participating in the 2009 Yukon Quest (?) - 'dress warm,' little doggies (and welcome to the Yukon Quest 'meatgrinder'). [See Aug. 4, 2007 UPDATE below]. Acting morning show host Roch Shannon Fraser conducted a 'journalistically distasteful' interview with the founder of the Jamaica dog sled team (who is in town to make make race preparations for Jamaican musher, Devon Anderson), and a local Whitehorse businessman/Yukon Quest supporter who is helping to promote and sponsor the team. Mr. Shannon-Fraser chuckled through the entire interview/CBC 'summer promo' for the Quest, as CBC likes to help keep the Quest in the spotlight during the dog racing off-season (let me remind you that three dogs were killed and many more were injured in the 2007 Quest, which is nothing to chuckle about, Mr. Shannon Fraser). Also, remember that a Yukon Quest official stated during the 2007 race that it was "not [the Quest's] business" how Quest mushers 'culled' their dogs, when the issue was pro-actively brought up by a veteran Quest musher ...CBC Yukon even did the original report for Heaven's sake! CBC should have stopped promoting the Quest right there and then, but CBC, along with their 'thin skins' with regard to criticism, also have 'thick skulls' when it comes to the Quest. The Jamaica dog sled team is also sponsored in part by the famous musician Jimmy Buffett, which seems to be an ideal fit for the Quest because of the 'Margaritaville' lifestyle to which the Quest apparently subscribes (Mr. Buffett was apparently a marijuana smuggler in his early years). The Quest has reportedly (by mushers and media) had its own drinking problems involving some Quest race officials, and alleged problems with dope-smoking Quest mushers (although the Quest organization does not seem to have a big problem with drug-abusing mushers because the Quest has never answered my public challenge to address this). The challenge/strong request to have Quest mushers and their dog handlers tested for drugs, was made a couple of years ago in the Whitehorse Star (the Quest race rules have the dogs tested for drugs, not the mushers or dog handlers). The dogs depend on their masters to be unimpaired in judgement (aside from the dangerous sleep deprivation that goes with the race). Many mushers put their dogs on 'autopilot' when they themselves get too sleepy in the Quest or Iditarod (if a DOG succumbs to the need for sleep, he or she will be dragged in harness). Sled dog 'Margaritaville': CBC North: Jamaica dogsled team sets sights on 2009 Yukon Quest UPDATE, Aug. 4, 2007: Our organization received a response on July 30th (letter - 'Dogs are treated like part of our family') from Danny Melville, Jamaica dog sled team owner, to a letter to the editor about the CBC 'Jamaica dog sled team interview,' which was published in the Whitehorse Star on Monday, July 23rd. Mr. Melville allayed the concern about Jamaican dogs being used in the Quest - he and his musher will only be exposing northern sled dogs supplied by Quest/Iditarod musher Hans Gatt to potential injury or death in the 2009 Quest. This aspect was not made perfectly clear in the CBC interview, or in any of the above linked stories. Furthermore, the headlines in the first two news links specifically mention the Jamaica dog sled TEAM (prospective-Yukon Quest Jamaican musher Devon Anderson first received media attention during the 2007 Quest, his travel to the Yukon was partly paid for by the Department of Tourism and Culture). Would it be that difficult to more aptly headline the story 'Jamaican dog musher to use borrowed northern sled dogs in the 2009 Yukon Quest?' Would that story be worthy of the media hype offered up by CBC Yukon and [private Quest media sponsor] the Whitehorse Star? Mr. Melville, in his letter, hid behind the facade that, being a supporter of the Jamaican SPCA, his intentions towards the dogs he uses (at two Jamaican resorts), were beyond reproach. Mr. Melville is actually a shameless self-promoter (as are his friends at the Quest). Check for yourself by performing a web search on the 'Jamaica dog sled team' to see how far and wide his venture has been promoted. Mr. Melville is even hoping to make "mush mon" a household phrase. A letter of response from SledDogWATCHDOG.com was emailed to 'the Star' on August 2nd (not published by the Star). It was instead posted on one of our favourite discussion boards at the BC Animal Advocates website. 'Mush on HOME, mon': In the Autumn of 2007, the Whitehorse Star reported that Devon Anderson was homesick and had to abandon his dreams of Yukon Quest glory (a young member of the Jamaican Dog Sled Team was sent to the Yukon as a replacement)... No CBC Yukon coverage of this story. Latest soundbites from the 'knuckleheads' at CBC Yukon: It is a full-time job keeping on top of the garbage (especially from CBC Yukon's 'A New Day' morning show) this organization churns out. Here are a few that I recall, approximating the conversations/statements (CBC is free to provide me with actual transcripts of these conversations, if they wish). I would prefer to listen to this station for information and entertainment purposes instead of keeping my ears peeled for the 'latest whopper' promoting animal abuse. CBC National is no better, as they help promote cruel events like the Calgary Stampede (a.k.a. 'Hillbilly Fest', to some enlightened Calgarians). Last evening there was a feature on CBC TV's 'The National' (by CBC reporter Lynne Robson) glorifying the recent successful hunt by Inuit of a bowhead whale in Canada's Eastern Arctic. Friday, August 3rd - 'A New Day' acting host Dave White and news reader Mardy Derby (both well-known Quest radio cheerleaders): The last item on the news was about the Yukon Quest musher early registration for their 25th anniversary version of killing and injuring dogs, which was to take place on the weekend. Ms. Derby gave the report in her best 'Yukon Quest sing-songy voice'. At the end of the news, Mr. White made a statement along the lines of "Now how about that, here we are on a beautiful summer day and we manage to get a story on the news about the Yukon Quest." Ms. Derby's giggling response was "Yeah, it's great!" Monday, July 23rd - 'A New Day' radio piece about a self-professed burlesque 'artiste' who had performed a northern-style strip tease act at the Dawson City Music Festival that weekend: The lady, who I understand had previously lived in Dawson, described herself as a lover of trapping and the 'independent Yukon woman' lifestyle (hunt/trap/fish/mush dogs). The basic premise was the lady was doing a striptease act dressed as a trapper, and a man dressed in a bear suit, as part of the act, kept coming around and bothering her - so she takes an axe backstage, kills the bear and drags out a bear rug. Classic Yukon entertainment. This little vignette was about 10 minutes long. Monday, July 30th, 2007 - CBC 'A New Day' acting host Dave White describing his weekend trip to the Southeast Alaska State Fair: Mr. White expressed disappointment that there was no 'greased pig competition' at the fair. Unknown date, not very long ago: Roch Shannon Fraser joking about interview by 'A New Day' host Sandi Coleman with a government game branch official regarding the crisis of there not being enough bison hunters in the Yukon: As the bison population is perceived to be 'out of control' in the Yukon, Ms. Coleman had a chummy interview with a game branch official who said that the current number of 700 bison permit holders was 'not enough' [firepower], and they would need to have about 1,000 permitted hunters in total. Mr. Shannon Fraser ('a real cut-up' on the 'A New Day' 'morning zoo' show) said that it was actually 699 hunters and one 'well armed camper' [himself]. In this or another interview about the bison situation, a Game Branch official threw out the possibility of placing radio collars on bison cows to make it easier for hunters to find the herds. Welcome to the Yukon (where the deer and the antelope play!). Summer of 2007 - CBC Northbeat closed the dinner-hour show with some pleasant scenes of a beached Bowhead whale with a bloody harpoon sticking out of its back, and an Inuit man walking around on the whale's back. October 12th, 2007 - It was 'open mic' day as CBC Radio 'Afternoon Show' host Russ Knutson rolled out the red carpet for 'His Royal Majesty' (Yukon Quest Executive Director) Stephen Reynolds, to help him promote the big Quest fund raiser at Whitehorse's version of the 'Dead Dog Cafe' that evening. Reynolds was waxing eloquently about the glorious history of the Quest, and Knutson reminded his esteemed guest about the 'great moose killing' by a Quest musher (a moose had attacked the musher's dog team and was dispatched with an axe). The poor moose would have lived a longer life and met a more fitting Yukon/Alaskan fate (by rifle) had this axe-wielding hero not been out in the 'middle of nowhere' simply to entertain a bunch of stupid Yukon and Alaskan yokels who 'get off' on animal suffering. February 7th, 2008 - 'Roch Head' - CBC Yukon 'A New Day' morning radio show Program Director Roch Shannon Fraser says "I'd like to shoot that groundhog, I can tell ya" during show banter about more cold weather being forecast. February 19th, 2008 - It was reported to me that Russ Knutson, introducing a report about protests over the Beijing Olympics, was heard to say words to the effect of "just as there are those who protest the Yukon Quest, there are those who are protesting the Beijing Olympics." Just what point were you trying to make, Russ? I was not aware that, judging by all the 'pump up the volume' coverage you and your disgraceful cohorts at CBC Yukon gave the Quest this year (especially the fools on the 'A New Day' morning show), you were remotely aware that even ONE of your listeners may not have been totally 'head-over-heels-in-love' with the Yukon Quest (or fellow CBC media darling, the Idiotarod, for that matter). You may now collectively hang your heads in shame! |