Dear editor:
Re: District of North Vancouver to pigeons: Shoo!, Nov. 1 news story.
On the evening of Nov. 4, District of North Vancouver council approved a bylaw prohibiting the keeping of pigeons on private property in the DNV. What was not discussed by council was the preponderance of evidence that this bylaw is a pet project of Coun. Betty Forbes related to her own personal dispute with a neighbour. Ms. Forbes is the only person to complain regarding domestic pigeons in the district in the recent past to the best knowledge of DNV staff.
The proponent for this new bylaw, Coun. Lisa Muri, seems to have brought it up out of thin air, unless you acknowledge Ms. Forbes’ private communications with Ms. Muri and DNV staff that were brought to light by the freedom of information requests obtained by CBC’s Justin McElroy.
Given that Ms. Forbes campaigned on transparency in government, this whole episode stinks of hypocrisy and represents a significant abuse of her position as a councillor.
We ask that our elected officials act ethically and transparently when they debate issues at council. The fact that DNV council, save Couns. Mathew Bond and Jordan Back, pushed this bylaw through without any acknowledgement of the significant conflict of interest at play here is abhorrent.
It makes you wonder what kind of other fowl dealings are going on behind the closed doors of this council. Maybe voters will consider cleaning the coop when the next election rolls around.
Dan Rankin
North Vancouver
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