Rafe Mair Online

It’s with great sadness I learned of the death of Bill Otway, the sports fisherman’s constant warrior. Bill was a mainstay of the BC Wildlife Association and its executive director for many years.

I got to know Bill when I was a BC cabinet minister and I was one of three to hold a hearing on the Revelstoke Dam even though it was irreversible. The BC Hydro lawyer was giving evidence and was consistently asked by Bill what would happen to a certain strain of Rainbow trout. He so exasperated the lawyer with this question he finally spluttered out “For God’s sake Mr Otway, we already destroyed that species with the Mica Dam!”

Here’s a “now it can be told” story. The government I was in with one exception (me) couldn’t have cared less about fish and the problems associated with them. I got a call from Bill one day in the Spring of 1979 when I was Environment Minister. He told me that the BC Wildlife Association was going under. As I remember it was $75,000 in the hole. I told Bill that I would do what I could but that I wasn’t hopeful. Continue Reading »

I am a hypocrite. At least insofar as this article is concerned because I eat meat and use dairy products and everything I say hereafter will demonstrate hypocrisy. You’ve been warned.

For many years such horrible spectator “sports” as bear baiting, cock fighting and dog fighting have been against the law and in the case of one NFL football star, brought a jail term for a violation. Very few would revoke these laws so – and I hate to tell you this – you are all hypocrites just like me except here’s where my confession comes in – I would ban other cruelty to animals although I could no more do that than the UK government can stop fox hunting or Denmark stop the mindless slaughter of whales in the Faroes.

Why are there still bull fights? I realize that a thousand years of tradition is involved but surely this is only a bare step away, if it’s away at all, from pit bulls and gamecocks. I went to the bull fights in Mexico many years ago and found that in no time I was cheering for the bull. Continue Reading »

There is no way I’m going to stop electronic progress but I can still bitch about it.

Why do people email me in pale blue? I must hit the reply button then raise the font and make the print black. This pale blue bit seems to be spreading.

Why is there such an interest out there somewhere on the size of my penis, my ability to achieve an erection offering pictures of ladies who want me to call – I don’t believe it’s for a fourth at bridge, a chess match or a stimulating conversation. Stimulation probably but I gather that no conversation is required. Continue Reading »