Support horse-drawn carriages through Bill 156

Laura Sentineal is hoping a provincial bill now open for public comment could help protect her horses, and horse-drawn carriages, and she’s asking for support.

Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, is an Ontario bill intended to protect farm animals, the food supply, farmers, and others from risks that are created when trespassers enter places where farm animals are kept; or when people engage in unsafe, unauthorized interactions with farm animals and transport vehicles. 

Although Sentineal says it may not seem to be applicable to her business, she has been told by MPPs that it is, and has been encouraged to comment on the bill.

The Sentineals are registered as a farm, she says, “and our end product is horse and carriage tours.”

She is hoping people in town who are fed up with the animal rights protesters will take a few minutes each day to add their comments to the bill, recommending it protect horse-drawn carriages. The protesters will also likely be commenting daily, she says, so local supporters can help balance that out.

She encourages locals to take that route, rather than going downtown to confront protesters, which only leads to supporters being filmed.

“Let’s put the energy where it can do some good. Hopefully it will be effective,” she says.

“It wouldn’t just protect us,” adds Sentineal, “it will protect all horses in public.”

More information about the bill can be found at https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-156.

Comments can be emailed to [email protected], or they can be posted online at https://www.ontario
canada.com/registry/mail.do?action=displayComment.