Mr. Jerry J. Ouellette: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. Minister, I've met with farmers, outdoor enthusiasts and livestock evaluators, and I'd hope you're aware of the explosion in the coyote population in Ontario and the imbalance that it's causing, especially as a result of what has taken place recently in Pickering.

Last night, I spoke with Councillor O'Connell from Pickering. They have put forward a bylaw shutting down hunting in Pickering, specifically. The concern is that the reason they're moving forward is because, according to Councillor O'Connell, the Ministry of Natural Resources is refusing to enforce the fish and game act in Pickering. As a result of that, they're moving forward with a bylaw to completely shut down the hunting that could effectively alleviate some of the coyote problems.

Minister, can you confirm or deny what is actually taking place with enforcement of the fish and game act in Pickering with the ministry?

Hon. Linda Jeffrey: I appreciate the question. This is a very important issue. Certainly some communities in southern Ontario have been experiencing problems with coyotes, and they have been dealing with my Ministry of Natural Resources staff. We've been working with many municipalities, and certainly we would be happy to work with your municipality to resolve any issues that you're experiencing with the coyote population.

Public safety is a number one issue for our ministry, and we'd be happy to work with your community to alleviate the problems.