Kitchener considers ban on feeding wildlife

TheRecord.com
Aug. 7, 2016
By Catherine Thompson

Jane Dando is hoping a proposed ban on feeding wildlife in Kitchener will give her some relief.

Her neighbourhood has been plagued by the presence of a wild turkey for years, as well as several raccoons, and she's convinced it's because some of her neighbours leave food out for wildlife.

"I know there are people who are leaving out food," she said. "I remember one time there was corn all over the sidewalk, right down the street," she said.

Her home, near Ottawa Street and Lackner Boulevard, isn't far from the Grand River, so it's not surprising that residents occasionally see wildlife, she said.

But she's quite sure the wild turkey, which poops in her backyard when it roosts in her trees, wouldn't have stuck around for so long if it wasn't getting a ready supply of food.

City councillors will be considering the proposed ban on feeding wildlife at the city's community services committee meeting on Monday.

If approved and passed by council, the ban would go into effect Aug. 29. It would mean someone feeding wildlife could be subject to a fine of up to $5,000.

Feeding wildlife is a problem on several fronts, according to a report to the committee. It can cause wildlife to lose their natural fear of humans; it can lead to an overpopulation of wildlife, which can cause greater competition for limited food sources; it can make animals dependent on human food sources, which can lead to dangerous encounters between wildlife and people; and it can expose pets to disease or injury from wildlife.

The turkey in Dando's neighbourhood produces plenty of droppings, and she's worried her pet lab could get sick. "I don't know if you know labs — they eat everything."

Complaints about people feeding wildlife have risen in the last several years, said Gloria MacNeil, Kitchener's director of bylaw enforcement. It's still not a huge problem — the city gets maybe a dozen complaints a year — but officials realized existing bylaws were silent on the issue.

"We've had issues abut coyotes coming into residential areas," MacNeil said. "We never used to get those at all. People have started calling in because they're seeing skunks or raccoons, and they say, 'My neighbour's putting something out for them.' "

Bylaw officers have even had a complaint about "tons" of Canada geese on someone's front lawn, attracted by bread put out by a neighbour.

The feeding of wild birds and feral cats will still be allowed, but the bylaw requires anyone with a bird feeder to ensure feed is "reasonably" inaccessible to wild animals and that bird poop doesn't accumulate under the feeder.

That exemption could mean Dando is out of luck in her battle against the wild turkey, but MacNeil said the bylaw would still ban anyone from putting out any kind of food such as bread for birds, or food in dishes.

MacNeil added that it also doesn't mean it's OK to feed geese, ducks or swans, as people frequently do at Victoria Park. The city's parks bylaw prohibits that.