FORT FRANCES, Ont. -- After losing a battle with this northwestern Ontario town over a fence they put up to keep deer off their property, Marie and Lynwood Anderson say they're going to pack up and move to New Brunswick.
Fort Frances is located across the Rainy River from International Falls, Minn.
The couple pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge of having a fence not in accordance with town's fencing bylaw. They were given 60 days to remove it.
Marie Anderson said if they had not pleaded guilty, the matter would have gone to trial in a criminal court.
"The justice had explained to us that if we were in civil court, we would have won," she explained.
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"We didn't know it was criminal court because we didn't have a lawyer, and we didn't have a lawyer because the town has used all of the lawyers in town, so they were all in conflict," Anderson said.
"We decided to just end this because we could go to civil court, but why would we waste another two years?" she said.
"We just decided were going to leave."
Anderson said they will comply with the court order to take down their fence after she transplants her flowers to an area where deer can't get at them.
Anderson said she and her husband will be moving to their Christmas tree farm in New Brunswick later this year after they sell their house and farm, where they grew flowers and vegetables to sell at the local farmers market.
"We were content to be here, and I think the court trial pushed me over the edge," Anderson said.
