Jan 22, 2009
SOURCE: National Post
MONTREAL - Newspapers report this morning that Bruce Kert, a Montreal musician, will face trial in May on a charge of feeding peanuts to a squirrel.Mr. Kert says he was strolling through a park in the tony Westmount district in 2006 when he spied some peanuts on the ground, picked them up and gave them to a squirrel that was descending from a tree.
A Westmount security officer spotted the illicit feeding, which is prohibited by municipal bylaw, and gave Mr. Kert a $75 ticket. He intended to contest the fine but says he never got a summons in the mail. The case was heard in his absence, he was fined $455 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
At a municipal court hearing Wednesday, the earlier ruling was withdrawn and a new court date set for May 4, La Presse reports. He has admitted committing the offence, but believes he has a valid explanation.
"There are no signs," he told The Gazette. "And I think I should have received a warning, rather than a fine. This case is an embarrassment, not just for Westmount, but the whole justice system."
The saga has inspired him to pen a blues tune, Squirelgate, which can be heard on YouTube.
