Beavers Ottawa – Worth A Dam

“Sinister Minister”

Ottawa has moved into the lurking stage of beaver management, and defenders of the Paul Lindsay Park Beavers are on the lookout for dastardly deeds. You will remember two adult beavers thoughtlessly moved into a storm water pond and decided to start a family. A panicked city ripped out the lodge that protected the family and the mother and kits have been exposed for several months. The father disappeared, possibly slain or looking for potential habitat in drought-stricken Ottawa and then hit by a car. A potential safe place at a nature reserve was proposed for relocation but this was denied by the local authorities as being ‘out of their jurisdiction’. Apparently there has been a official-looking white- haired stranger at the pond, and Anita has been told they are planning a imminent and clandestine relocation.

Stittsville beaver defenders brace for new fight

OTTAWA — The city is trying for a second year in a row to evict beavers from a Stittsville stormwater pond in a move that would send them to almost certain death, the rodents’ defenders say.

Life has not been good for the furry refugees in the Paul Lindsay Park pond. The city only backed off a plan to trap them last fall after their human defenders warned that “conibear” traps meant to kill the beavers relatively humanely might end up drowning them instead, or could inadvertently catch family pets. Officials were supposed to come up with a broader wildlife strategy before moving in on the beavers again, but that’s still in development.

Now beaver defenders are on the watch and trying to keep an eye on the pond in case there’s a sneak attack. They are hoping to make tshirts to identify themselves and approached us for images. We of course directed them to some fine options and will give them anything they need!

The concern for the beavers’ future is sparked by residents who’ve seen a stranger poking around the pond and asking about the beavers, according to a news release from several wildlife organizations like DuBreuil’s. Anita Utas, a vocal advocate for the beavers, said she’s heard from Christine Hartig of the city’s bylaw department (best known for her years caring for the city’s flock of Royal Swans) that the plan is to move the beavers to somewhere else “local.” There’s a sanctuary west of Algonquin Park that could

probably take them safely, DuBreuil said, but that’s likely not what the city has in mind.

I remember what it was like to watch the dams anxiously for city interference and I have nothing but respect for the Ottawa defenders. Lets hope all this sunlight makes the city uncomfortable enough to do the right thing, and bring in someone who knows what they’re doing and knows what it means to move beavers without a lodge a month before winter into a strange location. In the mean time, good luck with your vigil! And keep us posted on the tshirt efforts!

Sharon Brown of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife send this photo of husband Owen at Lily’s pond from their recent visit to Ottawa.

There’s more push from Ottawa this morning as residents try to force their city into using humane tools. Mind you the beavers haven’t actually caused a problem yet, but they might and the councillor wants to take action now just in case. (Apparently the Bush Doctrine applies to beavers: who knew?”

City of Ottawa joins fight against the beaver

Tamsin McMahon Nov 2, 2011 – 6:00 AM ET |

The Canadian beaver has suffered yet another setback after the City of Ottawa began trapping rodents that had set up residence in a stormwater pond in the city’s Stittsville area. Local residents are up in arms at the idea of a beaver slaughter in the nation’s capital, even if the animals’ dams put their neighbourhood at risk of a flood. Stittsville councillor Shad Qadri explains to the Post’s Tamsin McMahon why there’s nothing ironic in Ottawa’s fight against the mighty beaver:

(Click here to read more bogus city reasons why beavers have to be killed in case you forgot any in four years)

Then there’s this more detailed article locally

Beavers – To trap or not to trap and kill: Storm water management versus the environment

The city of Ottawa wants to trap beavers which have recently moved into the pond at Paul Lindsay Park because it is considered a storm water management pond rather than a natural environmental feature. It is the city’s policy to carry out its responsibility to maintain its storm water management facilities by removing any beavers since their activities could jeopardize the flood protection function of such facilities, resulting in property damage for homeowners.

Now that’s an old chestnut I haven’t seen roasted in a while! Remember the glorious days when Alhambra creek was carefully called “Alhambra drainage canal” so that the city could justify extermination? Ahh memories….I think I have a clip….

Stittsville resident Paul Renaud is one of these. He has urged councillor Qadri to ban all trapping of beavers in the ward until the city implements a wildlife strategy which he believes would save the beavers in this case. He wants Stittsville to set an example for the rest of the city of Ottawa to follow.

He calls trapping “a 19th century solution to a 21st century problem that ignores 20th century scientific research that shows that beavers are critical to aquatic eco-system health.”

Stittsville resident Anita Utas is another who wants to see a moratorium placed on any trapping of beavers at the Paul Lindsay Park pond, wanting the beavers to be treated in a more humane, progressive way.

She argues that an inexpensive water flow device can be installed at the pond that would eliminate any danger of flooding caused by the beavers. She claims that these devices have been used by many municipalities across North America for such a purpose.

And then there were two! Go Anita and Paul! Apparently our friends at FBD already contacted the city and volunteered their services and now the city is finding more reasons why they can’t possibly do the right thing. Keep the pressure on and lets move Ottawa into the 21st century of wildlife management!

Click to Play:

From Anita this morning

Excellent, thanks Heidi! You know what is making me so frustrated is that the City Councillor is saying the beaver are damming up the pond. They aren’t!!! They haven’t blocked a thing! I just did a live interview with a Toronto radio station, CFRB, Newstalk 1010, with Jim Richards. He suggested that listeners in Toronto write to our Mayor and City Councillor Shad Qadri to voice their concerns. I certainly hope many people do this.

Thanks again, Anita

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Meanwhile there’s a lovely last assault on the Polar Bear craze that’s been gripping the nation. You will want to read the whole thing, but its a fun piece of writing and well worth an appreciative note.

Tooth about beavers should freeze out senator’s polar bear proposal — MILLS COLUMN

The beaver may be a “dentally defective rat,” but I’ll be dammed if our favourite rodent should be replaced by the polar bear as Canada’s national emblem. That symbol substitution proposed Thursday by Senator Nicole Eaton isn’t worth a plugged nickel, even one bearing the image of a busy little rodent.

I’d say she deserves to be slapped repeatedly with beaver tails for coming up with both that disparaging description of the overbite-afflicted woodland critter and the idea of a makeover.

Ohhh! Insert appropriate slapping footage here….

But it gnaws at me that she sees the Canadian spirit reflected in the “stately polar bear” with its “dignity,” and not the industrious beaver whose pelt was once a more stable currency than the loonie.

How a lumbering, thousand pound critter that slaughters seals when they come up for a breath of fresh air can pretend to dignity is beyond me.

Does Eaton want us represented by an animal that occasionally eats its young (whereas beavers only chew out their kits when they come home late from a date, reeking of balsam)?

Does she want our symbol to be a species headed for extinction?

Go read the whole delightful grumbling piece and don’t forget to thank Ms. Eaton for the glorious round of beaver defense she inspired.