A former BC conservation officer who was fired for refusing to kill two bear cubs on Northern Vancouver Island has won a court appeal over his dismissal.
The BC Court of Appeal has ruled the legal process was flawed and Bryce CasavantB次元官网网址檚 dismissal should be nullified.
It was back in 2015 when the former conservation officer defied orders and refused to kill two cubs after euthanizing their mother, who had been seen eating garbage in a mobile home park in Port Hardy.
Casavant was fired over the incident, yet the two cubs, later named Jordan and Athena, were eventually released back into the wild from a facility for rehabilitation.
B次元官网网址淢r. Casavant euthanized the sow but not the cubs because he understood, from speaking with the complainant, that only the sow had been eating garbage,B次元官网网址� stated the three-judge panel in its decision.
B次元官网网址淜illing the cubs in these circumstances would be inconsistent with Ministry policy.B次元官网网址�
As such, the court felt CasavantB次元官网网址檚 dismissal should be nullified. The court, however, did not order for him to be reinstated.
Casavant has maintained throughout court proceedings that as a special constable appointed under the Police Act that the decision of discharging his firearm was his to make. B次元官网网址淢y choice was not to kill them.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he Court of Appeal has upheld that,B次元官网网址� he added.
Casavant tweeted a thank you to everyone who had sent congratulations about the decision, stating he believes it to be a landmark win for BC Constables.
To everyone who has sent notes of congratulations - thank you! I do consider the BCCA decision a landmark win for BC constables. I can confirm that I have retained Vancouver lawyer to address future matters. I will provide further comments at a later date.
B次元官网网址� Bryce Casavant, DSocSci (@Bryce_Casavant)
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a very long journey,B次元官网网址� Casavant said Tuesday, June 9 from his home in Port Alberni. B次元官网网址淎fter five years of it taking its toll on my family, I feel like a weightB次元官网网址檚 been lifted; a dark cloud has been parted. My future is unknown, but itB次元官网网址檚 looking positive.B次元官网网址�
After being dismissed from the BC Conservation Officer Service, Casavant worked for the Ministry of Forests and tried his hand at politics, running in the 2017 provincial election as the NDP candidate in the Oak Bay-Gordon Head riding, which was won by the Green PartyB次元官网网址檚 Andrew Weaver. He now works for Pacific Wild as a conservation policy analyst.
Casavant also graduated from Royal Roads University with a Ph.D in social sciences. His dissertation was released June 5, 2020, one day after the court decision clearing him of wrongdoing. Titled B次元官网网址淚n Search of a Wild Peace,B次元官网网址� it examines the relationship between wildlife and the BC Conservation Officer ServiceB次元官网网址檚 use of lethal force.
Casavant said he feels the people who fired him should be held accountable, and he will talking with his lawyer about what the next step is.
He has been awarded court costs for his appeal.
Casavant said six previous court decisions went against him, and called this victory B次元官网网址渁 bittersweet moment. It shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have happened, and it shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have crossed two (government) administrations like that.B次元官网网址�
editor@northislandgazette.com
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