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Bill aims to reintroduce bear hunt

A private member’s bill is seeking to reinstate the spring bear hunt in Northern Ontario. On Oct.

A private member’s bill is seeking to reinstate the spring bear hunt in Northern Ontario.

On Oct. 8, Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, introduced a private member’s bill that, if passed, would introduce an open season from April 15 to June 15.

The spring bear hunt was estimated to have generated millions in economic activity before it was cancelled in 1999, creating work for outfitters and their employees, providing taxes to municipalities, and contributing to other spinoffs.

Since the end of the spring bear hunt, there have been approximately 1,400 fewer bears harvested each year. Since 1999, that amounts to roughly 20,000 bears.

Mauro believes the reintroduction of the hunt would reduce the likelihood that aggressive bear activity will result in physical harm or death to people in Ontario; help protect crops and livestock; reduce bears’ impact on bees; boost Northern Ontario’s moose population by reducing the number of moose calves killed by bears; and increase tourist activity in Northern Ontario.

Mauro has indicated that he is open to the introduction of measures that would reduce the likelihood that female bears are killed during a spring bear hunt, orphaning their cubs.