New updated content: 2024-04-15 08:20:13
City of Ottawa Wildlife Strategy
The City of Ottawa is reviewing its Wildlife Strategy. This strategy covers mostly the issue of resident-wildlife interactions, not the broader issue of wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The current policy, which dates from 2013, is considered regressive, involving mostly trapping and removal and in the case of beavers, habitat destruction. GA member Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre has been very active preparing for this policy review, advocating for the adoption by the City of a progressive policy more focused on human-wildlife coexistence. They have developed <position papers> on a series of wildlife issues. These have been shared with City staff but there is little evidence that they have been considered. None of the papers, nor the two meetings with staff organized by the OCWC, are mentioned in the What We Heard report. Staff is seen as an obstacle in this matter and the push at this time is to get more residents and councillors engaged in the issue. The new policy will be presented to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (June 6), the Environment and Climate Change Committee (June 18) and the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee (June 20). It will then be quickly moved to full Council for approval on June 26.
It was agreed that the GA should align with the policy positions developed by the OCWC and promote them with its membership and followers, encouraging them to contact their councillors over the next month to advocate for a more progressive wildlife strategy. The GA will also work with its POP partners to ensure that public delegations present this perspective at the various committee meetings in June.
Action: Assemble and make available the position papers and disseminate broadly a call for action through the GA list.
New updated content: 2024-06-17 08:28:55
City of Ottawa Wildlife Strategy
The staff report on the review of the City’s Wildlife Strategy was presented to a joint meeting of ARAC and Environment Committee on June 17. GA members Donna Dubreuil and Kate McNeil (Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre) had long prepared for this day organizing and mobilizing local groups and individuals, preparing position papers on wildlife issues and engaging with City councillors over several weeks ahead of the meeting. As a result, many well-prepared delegations appeared before Committee, which on the whole were well received and lead to motions and directions to staff being adopted. Overall, the outcome was much more positive than anticipated. The GA’s submission, developed jointly by board and members, can be found here: Submission on Wildlife Strategy, June 17 2024.
