Kimberly Lamontagne helmed the first commemoration ceremony of animal victims of war in Montreal. Dalia Nardolillo/THE CONCORDIAN
Animal Protection Party candidate Kimberly Lamontagne helmed the first commemoration ceremony of animal victims of war in Montreal
On Friday, Nov. 11, people gathered at Parc Lahaie to commemorate the animals whose lives were lost in war.
This was the first ceremony of its kind in Montreal, organized by Kimberly Lamontagne. Lamontagne is an animal rights activist and a candidate for the Animal Protection Party of Canada.
With the sound of the rain in the background, Lamontagne set up some candles around the space. She then stood up among the participants and gave a speech.
“This event is a part of the Animal Alliance of Canada’s Purple Poppy Campaign, started in 2015 in Victoria, British Columbia. This ceremony is held in recognition of the millions of animals’ lives lost in war, to condemn their ongoing use in war and oppose the act of war internationally,” Lamontagne said.
At the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Lamontagne held the same ceremony earlier that week.
“Steps away from this memorial, in Confederation Park, is an underwhelming animals in war dedication that honours animals that served alongside their human comrades in war,” Lamontagne recounted.
Lamontagne made a point in addressing that there are no such statues located here in Montreal.
“I choose to hold a vigil here as the equestrian dedication is underwhelming; it is not as inspiring as the display in London England’s Hyde Park,” Lamontagne said. “I want to highlight that our purpose here is to recognize the animals as victims of war; not heroes and not to valorize them.”
As Lamontagne emphasized, these animals’ lives were taken and not given. Purple poppies were being sold so that participants could commemorate the animal lives that were lost.
“We fully recognize that many soldiers were forced into war themselves. Animals cannot consciously decide to engage or abstain from war. Animals are still used by the Canadian military and in modern warfare,” she said.
After the ceremony concluded, Lamontagne offered two minutes of silence to reflect upon the animal lives that were lost. Lamontagne also gave people the opportunity to come up and speak.
The Purple Poppy Campaign is complementary to the Red Poppy Campaign. The Purple Poppy is not meant to undermine the Red Poppy or reject its symbolism of the human lives who served and died in the war.
A night of awards and recognition of groups and organizations active in the fight for animal rights
Close to 100 people gathered for the Quebec Animal Rescue of the Year Award ceremony on Nov. 13.
The ceremony took place at NDG’s Monkland Community Centre, and highlighted the accomplishments and efforts of various animal activist groups and organizations. Representatives from over two dozen rescue organizations were present.
The ceremony was moderated by twin comedians Tom and Peter Hartman, who provided entertainment throughout the evening. The two men performed stand-up routines and interacted with the crowd, while also announcing and handing out awards.
Photo by Ana Hernandez
Some attendees brought their dogs, and many of the rescue operations brought animals in need of adoption for attendees to interact with and shower with well-needed attention.
Young, old and everyone in between came together to appreciate and celebrate the work that has been put into the important cause of animal rights.
The Animal Rescue of the Year Award was given to the Nali Animal Orphanage, run by Lindsay Burkart and Nathalie Santerre. The award came with a $2,000 grant to go towards animal rescue efforts. Nali is an organization that helps animals that are mistreated, neglected or abandoned.
“Most of the animals that we bring in are strays or are abandoned,” said Burkart. “So the animals start off with nothing when we get them, and we make sure that they’re all completely vetted, healthy and educated, as much as they can while they’re with us, until they find their home.”
Upon accepting the award, Burkart said experience providing help for animals has been “amazing.”
“Nathalie and I, who started Nali, we haven’t been doing this rescue as long as some of you in this room, but every day we learn things, we have new experiences,” she said to the room of attendees. “If there’s something I’ve learned, it’s that, despite the amount of sad stories there are, there’s just as many good ones.”
Photo by Ana Hernandez
Burkat emphasized the importance of focusing on the success stories and being driven by them. “We have to remember that, at the end of the day, we’re all in this for the same reasons, and we all get there different ways, but the goal, the end game, is the same,” she said. “The most important thing is that we make a difference.”
Other awards, such as multiple “Unsung Hero” awards, were handed out to volunteers and workers from various animal rescue groups to recognize their tremendous accomplishments in the fight for animal rights.
One such recipient was eight-year-old Ben Bishop-Gay. Bishop-Gay has been helping Nali Animal Orphanage since he was five years old. “I usually help out at the lemonade stand at the garage sales [for fundraising] every year, for about three years now,” said Bishop-Gay.
This passionate volunteer said he is motivated by his love for animals. “I have a lot of animals at my house. I have 10 horses, and I have 16 beehives, and I have five cats and three dogs,” Bishop-Gay said. He said he cares about animals so much that, when he’s older, he wants to have an animal orphanage.
Several raffle prizes and other awards were also handed out. A $500 grant was given to the Pussy Patrol Cat Rescue group for their grassroot work in organizing cat adoptions and rescues. A $1,000 grant was given to Liliana Danel, a regional ambassador for Lush Cosmetics who is an avid animal rights activist.
Photo by Ana Hernandez
Danel chose to donate her grant money in three ways between different rescue organizations: Westies in Need, Tiny Paws Dog Rescue and the Ottawa Pet Rat Rescue. She also commended the Concordia Animal Rights Association, who were among the volunteers working concession and various other tasks throughout the night.
Danel credited her receipt of the grant to “people knowing that I’m not in it for myself, but I’m in it for the others. I’ve been an animal activist in Montreal for many years.”
“Just the fact that I know so many people wanting to help animals, I think it’s an outpouring love from everyone who wanted to recognize my participation. That’s why I had to give it away right away,” said Danel.
A vigil at the Marvid slaughterhouse raises awareness for animal cruelty
A peaceful vigil took place in front of the Montreal’s Marvid slaughterhouse, on the corner of Industriel and Lacordaire Boulevards, on Nov 6, to raise awareness about animal cruelty. More than 20 people stood in the intersection of both streets holding signs with phrases such as “Close down all Slaughterhouses” and a quote from Tolstoy “Tant qu’il y aura des abattoirs, il y aura des champs de batailles” written on them.
The vigil was organized by Montreal’s KARA (Kebek Animal Rights Association) and the Toronto Pig Save activists. They were joined by Anita Krajnc, a renowned Canadian animal rights activist who currently resides in Toronto.
Krajnc, who is founder of the Save Movement, a network of groups raising awareness on animal rights and veganism, has made news headlines because of her deep involvement in animal rights issues. In 2015, after offering water to pigs crammed in a truck headed to a slaughterhouse, Eric van Boekel, from whose farm the pigs were brought, filed a case against Krajnc, with charges such as criminal mischief.
Due to her passion for animal rights, the charges didn’t stop her from continuing her projects. “For three years now, I’ve helped organize three vigils a week,” she said. “Since July 2011, we’ve almost done 1,000 vigils in Toronto.”
Krajnc was pleased with the turnout of the hour-hour vigil in Montreal. “It is very positive and it is great for visibility.” Back in Toronto, she also organizes day-long vigils which usually bring together 300 to 400 people.
One of the activists who attended the vigil was Marion Achoulias, a professor at Concordia University. She said she believes Concordia used to be more active in the fight for animal rights. For example, she said, Le Frigo Vert used to be completely vegan. Nonetheless, she is very proud to see a new generation of activists within the Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA).
The Concordian spoke with CARA’s president, Lara Mackenzie, about the organization’s upcoming events. Mackenzie said there will be an anti-fur campaign on Nov. 28, where CARA will encourage students to go fur-free.”
Mackenzie also spoke about Krajnc, describing her as a strong and perseverant woman. “Complete strangers go to her trials to defend her voice—she has a lot of support,” she said.
Another vigil will be held in the same location on Nov. 9, at 8 a.m.
The ban was lifted after nine days, leaving questions about whether the breed will be outlawed
Pit bull owner Nathaniel South expressed his worry of the complications he and his dog Chester would face if the temporarily lifted pit bull ban is reinstated. “What did my dog do? He’s been catching the ball and climbing fences. He never attacked anybody,” South said, addressing the generalizations about pit bulls that were made in Montreal after one incident this past summer when a woman was mauled and killed by a pit bull-type dog.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) announced a victory on Oct. 5 following their lawsuit against the city in a press release issued, which stated the ban on owning pit bulls was halted in Montreal until further notice by the municipal court.
“Don’t bully my breed” pit bull mural in the Plateau by artist Cryote. Photo by Savanna Craig.
On Sept. 28, the Montreal city council voted to ban new ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs in Montreal. However, it only lasted nine days before Quebec Superior Court Judge Louis Gouin ordered the ban be temporarily lifted until further discussion. The ban will be discussed in a hearing where the Superior Court will consider the legality of the law.
In the press release, Animal Advocacy Department of the Montreal SPCA lawyer Sophie Gaillard said, “We are particularly delighted to be able to continue finding adoptive homes for all of our healthy and behaviourally sound dogs, regardless of their physical appearance.”
Nathaniel South playing with pit bull Chester as he flips for the ball. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
South said he’s had his pit bull-boxer and labrador mix, Chester, for approximately nine and a half years. He said he adopted Chester from the SCPA. “I never had problems with him,” said South.
Vice president of Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA) Katherine Millington said although an outright breed ban is “an inappropriate, emotional, unscientific response,” however she does not completely disagree with the imposed laws.
“Spaying and neutering, as well as microchipping, will help to keep animal populations under control and ensure that lost animals get returned to their owners,” said Millington. She said sources such as the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association have reported that breed-specific legislation is not an effective plan of action for dealing with fatal dog attacks. “The individuals responsible for this legislation refuse to listen to the experts in this field [which] makes me believe there is some ulterior motive for the ban,” said Millington.
Pit bull Chester jumping over a fence in Trenholme Park, Montreal. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
South agreed pit bulls should be neutered and spayed. “When they’re not neutered, they can be a very dangerous dog,” said South. “That’s why I don’t disagree with the rule.” However, he said having to muzzle his dog would prohibit Chester from being able to play catch in the park. He said the muzzle also makes it hard for dogs to breathe and pant while they run around.
Barbara Kay, a columnist for the National Post, has stated she is in favour of the pit bull ban. Kay said when she was younger it was very uncommon for pit bulls to be domestically owned. She said pit bulls were formerly considered to be owned by bad people. “Pit bulls were considered the kinds of dogs that dog fighters used strictly for illegal dog fighting,” she said. Kay added that it was considered that trashy people owned these types of dogs. “They had them specifically because they were a tough bully dog and capable of inflicting serious injury,” she said.
However, Kay said there has been a change in the culture surrounding pit bulls—more often, they are viewed as misunderstood, often assumed to be more dangerous than they are. Kay said people began putting the blame of violent behaviour by pit bulls on a bad environment and unsuccessful owners.
Pit bull Chester playing in Trenholme Park, Montreal. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“The purpose of [the legislation] is to eliminate fatalities and to reduce severe dog bites, those that require hospitalization,” Kay said, and those that cause blindness or an amputation.
South said pit bull owners need to be well-educated in order to properly care for this type of dog. This is why people with criminal records are prohibited from owning a pit bull, he said, because they could train these dogs to be dangerous and attack people.
Kay said that, much like what happened in Ontario, the ban is simply phasing out the ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs because the human ownership is an “invention” that is not working. She said she does not advocate for dog euthanasia, but instead is in favour of the protocol adopted in Ontario after the ownership of pit-bull and pit-bull type dogs were outlawed. She said whoever owned a pitbull was not forced to give up their dog, but could keep them.
Millington said the breed-specific legislation has proved ineffective time after time. Citing information she obtained from the Montreal Gazette, she said, “In the last 30 years in this province, five people have been fatally attacked by dogs, all of which would fall into the husky-breed category.”
Nathaniel South with his pit bull Chester. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“The stereotype around pit bulls is just a function of society’s mass hysteria,” Millington said. “Every few decades a new breed is deemed to be particularly aggressive and is alienated.” She cited in the past Dobermans, German Shepards and Boxer Terriers as all having been similarly prosecuted and deemed to be a dangerous breed of dog.
South compared the stereotyping of pit bulls to the racial stereotyping he faces with the Montreal police. In his comparison he referenced times when he was stopped by the SPVM while walking home from a bar because he seemed suspicious to the officers. “It’s almost like the same thing because once a pit bull [has done] something, they generalize it to all pit bulls and then all the pitbulls have to suffer,” said South. “In this world it’s all about stereotypes, people do things and then it screws up everything for everybody else and then you have to live like a caged animal,” he said.
South had Chester running free in the park and was not confronted by someone in fear or prompting South to muzzle or take Chester home. South said often people don’t recognize he is a pit bull since he is a smaller version of the breed. During the interview, three different dog owners in the park interacted with Chester and expressed their impression with Chester’s obedience and ability to do tricks such as flip when South played with him using the ball. South said their outlook on Chester’s training would be altered if they knew he was a pit bull.
