Flin Flon city council has decided to establish a three-person committee that will decide whether dangerous dogs should be euthanized.
“So it won’t weigh on one person,” said Mayor Cal Huntley when asked about the matter at Tuesday’s council meeting.
“What we haven’t determined yet is how that’s going to be made up, whether there will be council participation, public of the whole or additional management. So we’re going to talk about that and determine what we think would be best for the community to have an overall perspective when making the tough decisions. It’s always a tough decision. Someone’s been hurt and yet it’s a family pet that needs to be – the correct decisions need to be made.”
The committee would not necessarily be permanent. Huntley said one-time committees could be struck as required.
“When an incident does arise, we could appoint people, again, either from the community or off council to sit on the committee when that does happen,” he said. “But that’s [something] we haven’t determined yet.”
While council is still finalizing the structure of its plan, Huntley said that if an incident requires a prompt decision, a committee would be formed in very short order.
The announcement comes after Angela Simpson, the victim of a dog attack last summer, asked council to add clarity to its animal-control bylaw.
Under the current bylaw, the city’s chief licence inspector has the lone authority to decide whether a dog will be put down.
ER involvement
Huntley said the city is “fully engaged” with the new ER to be built at Flin Flon General Hospital.
Asked about the city’s role in the ER, Huntley said himself and Director of Works and Operations Charles Boulet sit on the committee overseeing the project.
Beyond that, last year the city upgraded sewer and water lines to the hospital property in anticipation of the multimillion-dollar facility.
Without the upgrades, “we would have overtaxed the system,” said Coun. Bill Hanson, adding that he work carried a budget of about $130,000.
Coun. Ken Pawlachuk said the city also transferred ownership of an alleyway beside the hospital ramp to the Northern Health Region.
Such in-kind contributions count toward the fundraising requirement for the $22-million ER project.
Use caution
Relaying reports of ice shacks and a Bombardier plummeting through ice in the region, Huntley urged a cautious approach for those enjoying the lakes this winter.
“There’s been close calls,” he said. “We don’t want anything to happen, so let’s be a little bit more careful and test the ice when you’re out there and [for] all your winter activities, because it’s been an unbelievably mild winter.”
Added Huntley: “Let’s have a safe new year, through the whole year. We got through the Christmas festivities fairly well and I think there’s been some close calls on the ice, and I think we need to maintain some really good diligence out there.”
