Instead, they have a government that resists calls to enact laws on this issue. Instead, the Canadian government encourages and subsidizes the world's largest and most inhumane slaughter of marine mammals on the planet in the form of the seal hunt.

In a few weeks, the eyes of the world will again focus on Canada. Animal rights groups will again film the atrocities committed during the slaughter, and send it to a worldwide audience. Images of seals being skinned while still alive and in front of their mothers are common. The seal slaughter is a national embarrassment that should have ended decades ago. If any good can come out of the Whistler killings, it will be in raising awareness of the cruelty committed by man towards another species and hopefully demanding changes by the Canadian government.

Last year there protests in the UK against the seal slaughter and calls to boycott Canada. A similar effort this year would be appreciated.