Annual Mi’kmaq feast held in Cape Breton despite moose hunting moratorium
For years, the Feast in the Highlands atop Hunters Mountain - just off Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail - has been a Mi'kmaq fall tradition, but this year was a bit different.
"(It) sucks that you can't hunt moose in Cape Breton this year, for three years. I'm kind of bummed out,” said Isaac Propser, a Grade 11 student from nearby We’kok’maq First Nation.
"They had been kept away from Hunters Mountain for decades, and they finally won the rights to come back and harvest moose under the treaties and under their Aboriginal rights, so it became a celebration of that,” said Mi’kmaq rights negotiator Eric Zscheile, explaining the history behind the annual feast.
Last July the Nova Scotia government and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs made the joint decision to suspend moose hunting in the Cape Breton Highlands - for Mi’kmaq hunters and non-Native license holders alike - for the next three years due to low moose populations.
Despite the restriction, moose meat was still served to the hundreds of people at the feast on Thursday.
"One-hundred pounds, and it was a donation from one of our harvesters who harvested in 2023 and saved it for this occasion,” said Clifford Paul, a moose management coordinator with the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources.
Nova Scotia Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton attended the event and talked with people familiar with the local habitat about possible solutions.
"I did sample some moose meat, and talked with the person who hunted the moose,” Rushton said. "We certainly need some academia assistance and some knowledge of the area as we move forward in these discussions."
Some event organizers said at this point they can only hope traditional moose meat will be served at next year’s Feast in the Highlands.
"We might not have moose on the menu next year, but we're keeping an eye. We're hopeful for a recovery,” Paul said.
The province said its 2024 survey showed a drop of nearly half in the Highlands moose population from about 1,500 to roughly 835.
"I think over the next year we'll be spending a lot of time just trying to figure out what it will take to get the moose population back to where we want it to be,” Zscheile said.
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre, Guilbeault claim victory after federal budget watchdog's updated carbon tax report
Both the Liberals and Conservatives are claiming a win after the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) released an updated report on the economic impacts of the federal carbon tax on Canadian households.
Look up: Northern lights could be visible across Canada on Thursday night
The northern lights could be visible across most of Canada on Thursday night.
Judge awards nurse nearly $61,000 after she was attacked by dog in N.S. home
A Halifax-area couple has been ordered to pay nearly $61,000 in damages and $4,000 in court costs after their dog attacked and injured a homecare nurse at their residence in 2016.
TD Bank hit with record US$3 billion fine over drug cartel money laundering
TD Bank will pay US$3 billion to settle charges that it failed to properly monitor money laundering by drug cartels, regulators announced Thursday.
DEVELOPING Live updates: Millions without power amid path of destruction left by Hurricane Milton
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction and immobilizing critical infrastructure. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
'The View' co-hosts come out swinging at Donald Trump a day after he insulted them
The hosts of ABC's 'The View' clapped back at Donald Trump on Thursday, a day after the Republican nominee for president insulted co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg.
Fisher-Price infant swings recalled in Canada after 5 deaths reported
Several models of Fisher-Price infant swings have been recalled in Canada after the company received reports of fatalities link to affected products.
Winnipeg School Division apologizes over message displayed during professional development day
The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.
Video shows violent robbery north of Toronto, suspects make off with suitcase full of cash: police
Police north of Toronto have released video of what they’re describing as a violent, targeted robbery in Thornhill, where suspects boxed in the victim’s car and made off with a suitcase filled with cash.