A shadowy influence in my life (for obvious reasons) has always been the Peter Schaffer play Equus, about the unhappy child psychiatrist who treats a disturbed teen who blinded horses in the English stable, I believe the Harry Potter actor played the teen most recently. They angry boy puts the older man through his paces by dashing his efforts one after the other, until rapport is sufficiently established to tell his grisly story. This is the way it always works, you see.
At one point in the beginning the boy dismissively calls him a “Swizz” and later explains that the term means “something that has the appearance of giving you something, when really is taking something away.”
I don’t know if it’s a real english slang, or was 60 years ago, or is just the product of the characters warped mind, but the term stuck with me. There are times in my life when it explains things better than any other words possibly could.
Like now for instance. What a total Swizz,
Beaver trapping nixed in favour of dam removal, Council decides
Aurora will discontinue beaver trapping, a method to maintain the flows of local water courses and stormwater ponds, in favour of dam removal.Council made the decision last week following a motion from Mayor Tom Mrakas – and concerns from members of the public.
In his motion, Mayor Mrakas called on staff to discontinue trapping and instead follow dam removal “as it is the only humane option available to the municipality at this time,” while also exploring alternate ways to manage water levels.
“For me, it comes down to one simple point: what we’re doing right now is directing staff to discontinue any return to trapping and while we discontinued it, if it is necessary, that we implement dam removal and during that time we work with the Conservation Authority (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority – LSRCA) on how we can explore alternative water level management controls to ensure it is in compliance with the ECA (Environmental Compliance Approval).
Raise your hand if you think removing the beaver dam is going to SOLVE the problem. No hands raised I see? You and I and the milkman all know that removing the beaver dam is only going to make the beaver rebuild. Maybe that night. Gee I wonder what the sensitive mayor will say then?
“Not only did I speak with the Conservation Authority, I have also spoken to experts, whether [from] York University or some other professors as well. They stated too that when it comes to the Ministry of Natural Resources and their philosophy as far as beavers cannot be trapped and transported… they say that it is not feasible, ‘you can’t do that, that it shouldn’t be done.’ A lot of people are saying that that philosophy is outdated and that [it] needs to be revisited and looked at. This is some of the work staff need to do through the Conservation Authority, working in partnership in how we can get to a place to ensure our infrastructure remains safe while we have a proper mitigation strategy.”
Ohhh puzeeze ya big swizz.
It is, he said, a short-term strategy and a long-term plan will need to be hammered out by municipal staff, the LSRCA, and the Ministry of the Environment.
Ya think? Well that’s the only thing that vaguely sounds promising in all your pontificating. How is it humanely possible that you live 10 from Furbearer Defenders and no one is uttering the word FLOW DEVICE?
I ask you?
