A Fitting First for Saskatchewan's Shriners
By Lynne Bell
The circus is coming to town, but it's going to look a little different this year.
The province's Wawa Shriners-who sponsor the shows under the Big Top-have tweaked tradition by removing exotic animals from the program, replacing them with a circus that features more horses, as well as aerial, high-wire, and dance performances with a comedic edge. In addition, it will be renamed “The Equestrian and M'ceo Show.”
The Saskatchewan Shriners' contract with the business that supplied elephants and other exotic animals for the circus expired, which prompted the club to re-examine their options.
The Shriner's provincial circus event chair, Stuart Larson told The Regina Leader Post: “Our moral compass doesn't point us in that direction anymore. The last couple of years we have been concerned with the opinion of people and we're cognizant of that and feel the same.”
“These animals weren't meant to be in that world and were put into that service. We just don't agree with it. So we are distancing ourselves from that and going forward with a new model.”
Larson added that the incorporation of a more horse-heavy performance model made sense for two reasons- citing both Saskatchewan's agricultural roots and children's inherent enjoyment of animals-which made eliminating animals entirely from the show an undesirable option.
The show will be the first of its kind in Canada, but Larson admits: “It's sort of distanced us from the rest of the Shrine world.”
Traditionalists may wring their hands, but I think this is an idea that should be embraced by Shriners' groups across the country, for two reasons.
Firstly, although there are still wild horses, the horse is largely a domesticated animal, unlike elephants, bears, monkeys and other species that are co-opted into circus service, which is at best, a highly stressful environment for them, and at worst, a highly inhumane and even torturous one.
In the pre-Google past, circus audiences were largely unaware of the undesirable effects of circus life on animals that are undomesticated and forced into an alien environment to “perform” under duress.
However, most of us no longer have the luxury of ignorance regarding the reality of circus life for exotic animals; and Saskatchewan's Shriners are to be commended for coming up with a compromise that will satisfy audiences and their consciences.
And the second reason? Shriners Hospitals-which are partially-funded by events like the Shrine Circus.
“As Shriners, our purpose and (reason for) being is the hospital system,”said Larson to the Leader Post. “We have 22 hospitals across North America and basically those hospital systems are meant for the children who can't get the care in Canada or the U.S. that we offer.”
Now, who can argue with that?
From the circus to a conservation site
By Kelly Running
As a kid, the circus was soooo exciting. We always got tickets for the one in Swift Current and I remember how excited I was to go each year. After all they brought in these amazing animals and did cool stunts like the guy on a dirt bike in a giant ball, he got going so fast he was completely sideways!
Older now, I realize that although the exotic animals are a great attraction for kids who are fascinated with elephants and the like it’s not really a life for such a large animal.
The Wawa Shriners usually have exotic animals, but as the contract to bring exotic animals to Saskatchewan expired, they decided to go in a different direction. This year they will be hosting an equestrian show which being as Saskatchewan is heavily agricultural will be enjoyed, as people marvel at the talents of the riders and the abilities of the horses. Also to be featured are aerial, high wire, and dance performers.
Sounds like a great show and I feel as though taking care of a horse would be a little easier than caring for an elephant.
Children absolutely love animals and this is why the Shriners want to keep some in the show. Stuart Larson, provincial circus event chairman with the Shriners, is excited to bring a show that is along the lines of a Cirque du Soleil performance over the traditional circus thereby appealing to kids and adults alike.
The 145-year-old Ringling Bros. circus, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” has also held its final shows featuring elephants.
Public concerns had created pressure in regards to the well-being of the elephants in the circus with activists criticizing the circus for forcing intelligent animals with complex social relationships in the wild to live a life of captivity and isolation.
These 11 elephants which took part in the final show will head to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation, along with approximately 30 others, to the “largest Asian elephant herd in the Western Hemisphere.”
The larger the animal the more difficult it must be to take care of them as well. So, I think it’s likely a good thing to stop taking exotic animals on tour. Personally I’d much rather see an animal in the wild, if it’s dangerous maybe from a ways away, but I definitely prefer to see them in the wild, their natural habitat.
I don’t know about other people, but I always wonder about why people do what we do. Why do we dress monkeys up, train elephants to do balancing acts, and have a fascination with putting animals, especially exotic ones, on display? Although I love zoos I sometimes wonder if they’re the best place for animals, in an enclosure. Yes I’m sure they’re well taken care of but it’s not really natural for an animal to live in an enclosure.
It does seem like a double standard, however, that animals considered pets are kept in an enclosure. A backyard, tied to a chain, in a cage, etc… We see them as part of the family and we make sure they get exercise and are fed, but it’s typical in society to keep these animals because we love them and aren’t making money off of their abilities to do tricks, maybe? I’m not really sure. But somehow a pet is different than an exotic animal… the only real difference though, is that a dog or cat, even a horse, were domesticated many years ago.
As Lynne put it after I made this comment, “We are walking contradictions sometimes!”
