Vol. 26 No. 73
Scott Stanfield Record Staff
Krista Jernslet never would have imagined a cougar attacking, let alone killing, a horse. But that’s exactly what happened Thursday night at a Dove Creek property. Dawn was a 20-year-old Norwegian Fjord more than 14 hands in size and weighing about 410 kilograms. Her owner, Henny Brydges, had boarded the horse at a property belonging to Peggy Jernslet, Krista’s mother. “It’s very, very scary,” said Krista, herself a horse owner. “Definitely not something I would, from a cougar’s point of view, think would be a good target. She was a therapeutic riding horse. They’re pretty great animals.” “The kids down there (Therapeutic Riding Society) absolutely loved her,” Brydges said, noting the animal’s special mane that stood up like a Mohawk. “She was very gentle. She wouldn’t bite or kick anybody ... It was a big loss.” Dawn was the lone horse at the property, which perhaps explains
why the cougar went after her instead of some calves in the vicinity that were guarded by their mother. Brydges notes a neck bite was the only mark on her pet. “It’s awful,” said Brydges, who acquired Dawn when she was a one-year-old filly. “She was a cart horse as well.” At the time of the killing, Krista said Dawn had been near the barn that is about 400 yards away from her mother’s house, which is guarded by two dogs in the yard. Peggy found Dawn the next morning. The attending conservation officer figures the killing was quick and quiet. “He didn’t figure that Dawn even knew what was coming. She still had a mouthful of grass,” Krista said. “He got her right in the throat. Other than that there wasn’t a mark on her. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. I never in my life would have expected a cougar to take down a horse. Not one that big anyways.” Especially considering the
Class configuration amended
Record Staff
Angela Barry says Monday was a difficult day at Royston Elementary School, and there were many tears when parents dropped their children off at school. It’s Barry’s understanding that Royston Elementary was notified at 2:35 p.m. Friday by the school board that they were not happy with the class configurations at the school. Barry’s son was one of the many students moved after four days of classes, as he went from a straight Grade 1 class to a Grade 1/2 combined class. “I don’t have a huge issue with it; my issue is the fact that nobody took into consideration how many children were being affected,” she said. “There were a lot of really
upset children and in turn, a lot of upset parents. There were kids crying. “I was fortunate in this situation; the change didn’t affect (my son), but I think he’s the exception, not the rule,” she added. “I’m sure these kids will settle in, but that’s not the point. Why put them through this in the first place? “I think it’s a pretty sad day when there are kids crying in the hallways and their mothers are crying because they’re upset, and for what?” Parents were phoned during the weekend, said Barry, who received a call Sunday afternoon from principal Barbara Robertson saying the class configurations
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needed to be changed. “I think the teachers and principal did everything they could to make the transition as seamless as possible,” said Barry. “Regardless of that fact and with all their effort, there were a lot of upset people. “The person who made the decision wasn’t there. They make these arbitrary decisions, and they don’t take into effect what effect it has on families and parents. “I’m just shocked they put kids, parents and teachers through this for a reason nobody can explain. It’s not like they added a whole bunch of kids to the school or added staff or took staff away.” Barry noted that one teacher made the comment, “Where is
YETIS SWEEP TWO
The Glacier Kings began their hockey season well. ■ 31
SID REMEMBERED
... see CAT ■ 2
Students, parents upset at Royston Elementary Lindsay Chung
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www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
Gentle, beloved horse killed by cougar
A FLOWERY TRIBUTE marks the spot where a cougar killed a 20-year-old filly in the Dove Creek area. PHOTO SUBMITTED
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the school district now?” Monday morning as she was trying to console a six-year-old boy and his mother. “I don’t think the school board took into effect who this might affect because of what it looks like on paper,” she said. “Those kids have been settled in for four days now. There were a lot of upset children today, especially primary children.” The changes at Royston Elementary are related to the district aggregate for elementary schools across School District 71, according to Allan Douglas, the district’s director of elementary instruction. At the end of the first week of school, district staff collects all the data from every elementary class from every elementary school in
... see AGGREGATE ■ 5
With a couple of hats and a few props Sid Williams could transform himself into 10 characters in 10 minutes. He was part of the Comox Valley theatre community, both on and back stage, for 70 years. As they say in thespian circles, Williams “left the building” on Sept. 26, 1991 at the age of 92. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, nearly 20 years to the day after he died, Courtenay Little Theatre will pay homage to the short man with the tall heart.
...Full story on page ■ 12
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