Nice Idea, Shame About The Execution…

Abbotsford, BC (British Columbia, that is. It’s not a date, despite the dinosaur thinking involved!):

On Tuesday morning city workers pulled up to the green space along the railway tracks not far from the Salvation Army's Centre of Hope and began dumping chicken manure on the ground to deter the homeless from camping there.

Right. Because the smell of the chicken manure is far sweeter than the smell of tramps...?

They mayor wasn't impressed at this display of initiative:

Arriving at the camp, Barman told the media he was dismayed by the incident.

"I came to apologize to those who were affected," said Barman, after speaking with some of those affected by the city's actions.

"Like many residents, I'm embarrassed, deeply ashamed and sorry for what happened," he said. Barman said he had no prior knowledge about the plans to use manure to disperse the homeless. It's not yet clear how the concept was chosen, he said. 

After a round or two of drinks, perhaps?

"We're reviewing how that decision was made," said Barman. "Regardless of how it happened, we are going to learn to do better."

My suggestion? Elephants. They’re bigger than chickens, after all…

Oh, and no, he wasn't apologising to the town so much, for the waste of public money; he was apologising mostly to the bums!

Still, it was nice to see that, in Canada, they don't engage in mealy-mouthed blame-shuffling:

On Wednesday, Abbotsford city manager George Murray took responsibility for the city's decision to dump the manure.

"As city manager, I take this situation very seriously and retain full responsibility for the manner in which we dealt with this incident," he stated in a press release.

"I am deeply sorry for our actions."

Refreshing, no?