The photo above and articles below were published in the Powell River News on March 5, 1970
Cats on Michigan are nuisance say residents
Cats are becoming a nuisance in the Michigan Avenue area and a spokesman presented a brief asking council to limit the number of cats per household.
Difficulty is, said mayor Jim Court, a householder could have two cats today and eight cats tomorrow. Speaking for petitioners, Bill Harris complained that his neighbour has 23 cats, which are becoming a nuisance.
“I’ve complained to the SPCA and the dog pound without success,” said Harris, “and I’m now asking if the municipality can pass a bylaw regulating the number of cats per household.”
Municipal administrator T. McVea said he had discussed the problem with the complainant and had asked Stan Hayden, the municipal lawyer, for an opinion. There is a chance that section 871 of the municipal act would allow for the passing of such a bylaw, said McVea, but he had discussed the question with provincial authorities who said they knew no municipality in British Columbia with such a cat control bylaw.
Harris said he had suffered the cats for some time but his patience became exhausted recently when his four-year-old daughter picked one up, and it severely scratched her face when a dog came by and excited it.
Local serviceman promoted to WOI
James V. Thomson, Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, son of W. V. Thomson, 4595 Willingdon Avenue, has recently been promoted to warrant officer first class. Educated in Powell River, WOI Thomson joined the Royal Canadian Navy straight from high school. He has been in the service 16 years and is presently an instructor in the boatswains’ section of the fleet school.
