夜雨聆风松鼠挑衅引发野餐禁令案 – City of Vancouver v. The Public
Squirrel‑Triggered Picnic Ban Litigation – City of Vancouver v. The Public
2026年6月18日，加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省温哥华市议会因“松鼠食品偷窃危机”通过了临时条例，禁止市中心史丹利公园内的任何公共野餐活动。公民团体“自由野餐协会”随即向温哥华高等法院提起集体诉讼，指控市政府的禁令侵犯了公民在公共场所享有的集会与休闲权利，并且缺乏合理的法律依据。原告提供的证据显示，虽然松鼠确实偷食，但市政府并未尝试采用非禁令措施，例如提供防护装置或增设垃圾收集点。市政府辩称，紧急公共卫生考量（防止食物残渣引发鼠疫）足以支撑临时禁令。法官在审理后认定，虽然防止动物扰乱公共空间是合法目标，但完全禁止野餐属于不成比例的限制，未满足比例原则。于是判决市政府撤销禁令，且在三十日内制定包含松鼠防护措施的细则，同时向原告支付象征性费用CA$1,200，以示对公共权利的尊重。
On June 18, 2026, the Vancouver City Council enacted an emergency bylaw banning all public picnics in Stanley Park due to a “squirrel food‑theft crisis.” The civil liberty group “Free Picnic Association” promptly filed a class action in the British Columbia Supreme Court, alleging that the ban infringed citizens’ rights to assemble and enjoy public spaces without a sound legal basis. Plaintiffs presented evidence that, while squirrels were indeed pilfering food, the municipality had not explored less restrictive options such as protective mats or additional waste receptacles. The city argued that urgent public‑health concerns—preventing food waste from attracting disease‑carrying rodents—justified the temporary prohibition. The judge held that, although safeguarding public spaces from animal interference is a legitimate aim, an outright ban on picnicking was disproportionate and failed the principle of reasonableness. Consequently, the court ordered the city to rescind the ban, to adopt squirrel‑mitigation measures within thirty days, and awarded the plaintiffs a symbolic sum of CA$1,200 as recognition of their public‑rights claim.
