“People want to coexist”: Wildlife advocates call for bolder action in Ottawa’s strategy

During consultations for the new wildlife strategy last year, Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre president Donna DuBreuil reported seeing a huge shift in public opinion over the last few years. However, some believe the new strategy is not adequately addressing the concerns that residents have been raising.

“Wildlife and biodiversity protection should be factored into all city decision-making, particularly with regard to development,” said DuBreuil.

The Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre has been one of the many advocacy groups providing input to the city regarding wildlife strategy, along with Ecology Ottawa. 

William van Geest is the executive director at Ecology Ottawa and last year met with the city as they considered the update to the implementation of this strategy. 

Though he was happy to see progress towards conflict response and conservation strategies for beavers and coyotes, van Geest said the city ignored some of what Ecology Ottawa was pushing for. He pointed to the city’s lack of “ecosystem thinking,” which would mean thinking about wildlife holistically, beyond just large mammals. 

An ecosystem is comprised of more than the obvious animals; it is also supported by birds, bugs, plants and many other things that are not fully considered in this new plan. Van Geest emphasized the idea of respectful stewardship, which, drawing on Indigenous ideas, puts humans in a position of responsibility to acknowledge damage and restore natural richness. He also advocated for solutions such as tiny forests — small sections of trees — implemented throughout the city to provide more habitats and foster biodiversity.

Car centricity and dependence were other concerns for wildlife safety, as were partitions of habitat. Van Geest pointed to how dependent the City of Ottawa is on car infrastructure.

He was also concerned that some basic groundwork of biodiversity conservation would not be covered by the strategy, including the implementation of the Montreal Biodiversity Pledge, which was signed by Ottawa in 2023. This framework includes actions to reduce threats to biodiversity, such as reducing pollution, as well as incorporating biodiversity in decision-making.

The Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital also did some consultation with the city relating to this strategy, and Juan Pedro Unger, a director, highlights particular concerns with developments overtaking greenspace. 

He said Ottawa’s current expansion into wild areas is causing harm to ecosystems and wildlife. 

“The urban boundary has been expanded beyond what is needed to fill the needs of Ottawa,” Unger said, adding that this contributes to the destruction of forests and wetlands. 

Despite the new wildlife strategy, Unger remains concerned about the city’s “hostility” towards wildlife, particularly birds. Window strikes on buildings, as well as predation by cats, are the most serious dangers to migratory and year-round birds, both of which lack sufficient regulation according to Unger.

Ottawa is not a “bird-friendly” city, according to a list released at the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2022, as well as Nature Canada’s Certified Bird Friendly Cities and Towns program.

Unger is also concerned about how the city has been consulting with groups and citizens.

“In all my years at the Greenspace Alliance, I don't remember a single case in which the city has actually taken up and implemented any of our recommendations or advice,” said Unger, emphasizing his want to see policies for less disruption of wildlife. 

“One of the things that attracted me to Ottawa initially was precisely the abundance of green space and its co-existence with wildlife,” he said. “You would encounter wildlife at every turn, and I think it's what adds beauty and enjoyment to a place one can call home.”

For Bells Corners resident Lisa Darragh, the city has not been responding to wildlife conflicts compassionately. It was in her neighbourhood that a black bear was shot and killed by city police, causing outrage among locals. 

Since the incident, Darragh started a community advocacy group of over 2,000 people called “We Must Do Better - National Capital Region Wildlife” which has been pushing for change on different levels. 

Darragh has been told that her group, mainly dedicated to sharing information on wildlife, has been instrumental in changing local attitudes. 

“People are really more aware that we have to share,” she said, highlighting the sentiment that the area belonged first to wildlife. 

Coun. Johnson aims to see the “window of habituation” in which a large animal is living in a neighbourhood cut down with the help of the wildlife specialist. This would decrease the likelihood of safety concerns leading to unnecessary police involvement. 

Especially living surrounded by forests, Darragh believes that education is a key part of ensuring peace with animals. Some of the information her group circulates includes tips to limit food attractants in backyards and dealing with animal encounters calmly. 

“People want to co-exist,” she said. “They’re much more aware now and protective of the wildlife.”

Since responsibility for wildlife conservation is shared across multiple levels of government, the city’s plans are also shaped by priorities of other levels of government, notably the federal government.

According to an emailed statement by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the primary wildlife responsibility of the federal government is the protection and management of migratory birds, terrestrial species at risk, and their nationally important habitats. Some concerns include house cat predation and bird collisions with buildings.

The department “is working to develop a Strategic Conservation Framework which will include strategies and actions that all levels of government and communities can implement to conserve wildlife in urban areas,” said an ECCC spokesperson in an emailed statement. 

ECCC also cited the findings from Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy, which included survey findings suggesting most Canadians felt that the loss of living things - biodiversity - needs to be halted, and recovery begun by 2030.

According to a 2017 publication by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Canada could become a leader in wildlife policy, suggesting that the country’s overall new approach to protecting nature could see positive global results.