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Rat poison blamed, 3
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The voice of Delta since 1922
FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2018
Can provincial gov’t pay for two crossings? SANDOR GYARMATI
s g y a r m a t i @ d e l t a - o p t i m i s t .c o m
PHOTO BY ADRIAN MACNAIR
Close to 100 rabbits from a Richmond rescue group have been moved to horse stalls in Delta donated by Taisce Stables, the same business that housed horses displaced by last summer’s wildfires in the Interior.
Rabbit virus now in Delta
First time highly infectious disease has been diagnosed in B.C. IAN JACQUES
i j a c q u e s @ d e l t a - o p t i m i s t .co m
Owners are being asked to take precautions with their pet rabbits following several confirmed cases of a highly infectious virus showing up in Delta. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease is lethal for feral European or domestic rabbits. Several cases
showed up in Nanaimo in midFebruary and then were suspected to have popped up on Annacis Island just days later. Testing results released Wednesday carried out on dead feral rabbits from both communities confirmed the presence of the disease. This is the third confirmed diagnosis of the virus in Canada,
and the first in B.C. The disease is exclusive to rabbits. Humans and other animals, including dogs and cats, cannot be infected. “When we found the cases on Annacis it was suspicious. We thought it was maybe a human factor, but we had no evidence as to what may have caused the issue, so we held the bodies here
for a period of time. It wasn’t until we found out what was happening on Vancouver Island that something might be going on here,” said Delta animal shelter manager Ryan Voutilainen. “We are working with a number of different agencies and we had to be sure before we notified the public. RABBITS: see Page 3
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We’ll all have to wait for the report. That’s what the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has to say about the fate of the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project when asked if improvements to the Highway 99 corridor could be put on hold until the completion of the Pattullo Bridge replacement. “The province is very aware of the congestion affecting people in the Metro Vancouver area, and addressing it in the most effective way possible remains a priority for the ministry. That is why we are working to find a solution for the George Massey crossing. An independent technical review is underway and will help ensure we make a decision that is best for the region and the province, reflects the views and vision of Metro Vancouver,” according to a statement from the ministry. Delta’s engineering department recently conveyed concern whether the province will be able to fund two new crossings, whether a Massey replacement can be done without federal funding and whether the Massey project will be further postponed. Preliminary work on a 10-lane bridge project began last year and it was scheduled for completion in 2022. The project was suspended last September by the New Democrat government, which later announced an independent technical review that is to be completed this spring. MAYOR: see Page 3