If it wasn’t for Canwest global news media, I would never know what was going on in Saskatchewan – and thankfully so. So I curse the media when I see Saskatchewan-related news items pop up on the website for my local newspaper. Like a car crash, I can’t help but look. Such was the case today when I came across a story chronicling the latest chapter in the long sad story that is Saskatoon’s pet laws.Some context:
In case you don’t know, Saskatchewan loves tax as much as anchorman Ron Burgundy loves scotch.
I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly...
An example of this is the fact that Saskatoon is one of the few jurisdictions where one is taxed every year for having a cat or dog. You have to buy a licence for your pet and put a tag on it – or face big fines. Although the bylaw is almost never enforced (ask any cat owner if they buy a licence for Mr. Socks. Half will say no and the other half will stare at you blankly not knowing what you’re even talking about). The licensing really serves no purpose other than to grab tax money but more importantly, try to scare residents into containing their pets. If memory serves me correctly, fines are issued any time your dog or cat walks off your property and onto another’s. The only difference is that a licensed pet receives a smaller fine. Pets are apparently supposed to observe and abide by surveyor’s pins in Sask.
Some more context:
I have written elsewhere on this blog about Saskatoon’s dog feces problem. Even though it a finable offence, dog owners in SK apparently think that it is within their rights to let their dogs shit all over anything and everything. I used to know when spring had arrived in Saskatoon by the massive piles of dog shit that thawed out and lay exposed all over public parks and my yard. Believe me when I say it is better to step in frozen than fresh dog shit.
Here the [poop] scoop:
I got a chuckle out of the latest buffoonery from city hall. Apparently they have been debating whether to pass a bylaw outlawing dog urination on private property.
Some more context:
I have written elsewhere on this blog about Saskatoon’s dog feces problem. Even though it a finable offence, dog owners in SK apparently think that it is within their rights to let their dogs shit all over anything and everything. I used to know when spring had arrived in Saskatoon by the massive piles of dog shit that thawed out and lay exposed all over public parks and my yard. Believe me when I say it is better to step in frozen than fresh dog shit.
Here the [poop] scoop:
I got a chuckle out of the latest buffoonery from city hall. Apparently they have been debating whether to pass a bylaw outlawing dog urination on private property.
City council ultimately decided not to pass such a law. But not because dog piss isn’t damaging to property or that it's a problem in the city, but because enforcement of the law would be too difficult. LOL. How rich. This is the same city hall that enacted the pet licence law and the dog feces law, neither of which are enforceable or enforced. *face palm here*
I don’t know what’s more amazing: the inconsistency in which the city laws are made or the fact that Saskatoon passed on the opportunity to find a new way to collect tax from citizens. What a shit--I mean piss show.
7 comments:
The funny thing is when we lived in Saskatoon a commissionaire asked if our cats were licensed, we said "no" and he said "alright, then" and wandered off (presumably to ticket some cars at a nearby meter). We never received any fines in the mail at all.
Ah, thank God we don't live there anymore! Love the blog!
How are you enjoying the HST? Taking care of that anger management problem, too?
Must be awfully boring out on the Left Coast if you have nothing better to do but to continue you ignorant rants against the flat-landers.
Everyone knows that Vancouver is much prettier than almost anywhere else, Saskatchewan included, so why can't you let go? Having trouble making friends out there?
So "Anonymous", a cat bylaw is the only criteria you use to judge a place? What a great neighbour you'd be. Maybe Sask people should be the ones thanking the Lord for your departure.
(I still wonder if the "Anonymous" who keeps putting up comments is just the blog author, trying to beef up the website)
Hey, Bill...you sure make a lot of assumptions. I won't even bother to correct you, as you you seem pretty set on them.
But my opinions of Saskatchewan are hard-earned from living there for 10 years. I've never experienced such a depressed, repressed and backwards place.
Quick facts: Saskatchewan has the highest per-capita crime, gambling, drug and alcohol abuse, STDs and even anti-depressant use rates in the entire country. Even the residents themselves can't stand it there.
Well, back to mountains...ahhh...
Hey Goatsmell check out the meaning of per capita in a text, then get back to me
Checked it. Back to you.
I'm all a-itchy to see what you have for a response...scratch scratch...
Actually Alberta is the STD capital of Canada at the moment, the crime capital seems to flip between Alberta, Manitoba, nova Scotia and Saskatchewn. Most jurisdictions in BC require pet licences with fines ranging from 100$ (Clark county) and 250$ (Vancouver). I have lived in BC Alberta saskatchewan and nova Scotia and I would say in my experience saskatchewan is the second least taxed of bunch. My take home is much greater here than it was in BC and NS. don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things about this province irk me, but when bashing this province at least try not to straight up lie when your doing it.
Not being able to enforce the law, is not reason enough, not to pass a law. Just because today, there are a lack of adequate resources, does not mean that those resources will not be available sometime in the future. Having a law would act as a deterrence for some portion of the population. You know those crazy people who "believe" in the rule of law. As far as providing evidence, we are living in the digital age. We can provide real time streaming of events.
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