Long ago and oh so far away one of the first “non-Martinez” beaver stories we followed on this website was the story of the Stittsville beavers in Ottawa. I guess we tagged along because at the time the story had a lot of the same elements as our own: public outcry, beavers that were easy to see, a mayor that was worried about flooding and a curious media. Following the story introduced me to some long friends in the are including Donna Debreuil of the Ottawa-Calton Wildlife Centre who really became a staunch defender of beavers because of that contact.
The artist who got us involved (Anita Utas) has since relocated and Donna is headed for a well deserved retirement but you will be surprised not one bit to learn that the city has gotten no smarter about beaver management.
City of Ottawa needs to stop killing beavers
The Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre is calling on the City of Ottawa to finally put in place progressive practices to coexist with beavers.
The Centre has been working on this issue for many years. More than a decade ago, City Council directed staff to develop a Wildlife Strategy that “would facilitate and foster a more harmonious relationship with all wildlife. Council’s direction was motivated not only by general concerns for biodiversity and harmony with nature but by specific issues and complaints arising from the City’s policies and procedures for dealing humanely with individual animals or populations of animals.”
Yet, with respect to beavers, City staff continue to completely ignore that Council direction. For example, in 2011 invoices paid by the City of Ottawa to trappers amounted to $31,823. By 2017 invoices had increased to $45,019 and, by 2018, the trapper billed the City of Ottawa a whopping $156,710.
You may remember that the city said they were “relocating the beavers” and a month later sent supporters video of much older different beavers swimming happily in the pond. See? What a good job we did?
And if you believe that I have some news for you about that puppy your parents said “Went to live on the farm”
So why is Ottawa continuing the outdated, costly, environmentally destructive, and inhumane practice of killing beavers?
“As they say, follow the money”, said Donna DuBreuil, President of the Centre. The cost of the trapper is a very small portion of the overall beaver management cost. The real cost to taxpayers is buried in Ottawa’s Municipal Drainage, Road and Stormwater budgets. It involves continual inspection and the frequent cleaning of culverts and ditches using City equipment and manpower. It is the protection of this unnecessary work that is often behind the resistance to adopt cost-effective prevention measures.
“With the City ‘appropriating’ an ever-increasing number of natural creeks, ponds and wetlands for stormwater purposes to serve development, Ottawa must make the minor adjustments to work with nature and not against it. Beaver trapping must stop”, said DuBreuil.
Beavers are not being relocated as the City of Ottawa has stated. They are being killed. Public funds should never be used for unethical practices that the City has to hide and lie about.
Ahh my Stittsville friends. Good luck. Remember that the important battles take years to win. And these beavers need you.
