Remembering the Bells Corners fox

Good morning! 

When I lived in Barrhaven, seeing wildlife was a regular occurrence. I'd regularly see coyotes or foxes on my walks, and despite feeling a bit on edge at their confident prevalence, there wasn’t any fear. That’s because they are more afraid of us than we are of them. 

There were many other animals, too. Once, a large snapping turtle randomly appeared in our front garden despite not being located near the water. It was huge and I’m sure very old! 

And of course, who can forget about the dozens of rabbits we’d feed apples and lounge with in our backyard. We’d even give them bunny food from the pet store, which they ate from a red bowl. And when they wanted more, they’d push it towards the door, pick it up with their teeth, and rattle it around to make noise. They are more intelligent creatures than you might think. 

One of the greatest joys about living near nature is safely interacting with wildlife. Today's main story is about how Bell’s Corners is mourning the passing of a beloved fox and calling for more education around co-existing. 

Let’s get to it.

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor, [email protected], X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Monday: 19 🌡️ 13 | 🌤️

Tuesday: 22 🌡️ 14 | 🌤️

Wednesday: 27 🌡️ 20 | 🌤️

ENVIRONMENT

Bells Corners says goodbye to beloved fox amid calls to better coexist with wildlife

For years, Bella the fox crept through the suburban streets and green spaces of Bells Corners, with no fear of the modernizing landscape in what was, decades ago, farmers' fields. 

The fox with no tail was a regular sight in backyards, schoolyards, and even the local cemetery. It’s not exactly sure when Bella first started making her rounds, but some of the first sightings came during the COVID-19 pandemic — a time when neighbours found joy in her presence amidst stay-at-home orders and lockdowns. 

In early July, Bella’s body was found on Robertson Road after being hit by a vehicle. It left the community shattered. 

Trudy Ferguson, a master naturalist and wildlife photographer, is starting a petition to have the city install signs which remind drivers and pedestrians to watch for wildlife. It’s not a new concept with similar signage in the Central Park and Hunt Club neighbourhoods notifying of coyotes. 

“I would like to see some awareness for people to respect urban wildlife,” Ferguson told the Lookout. “We all need to do our role and respect and embrace wild animals from a distance.”

Sightings of wild animals are not uncommon in Ottawa. In at least two incidents, black bears were spotted roaming through Barrhaven. Kanata and Hunt Club have had moose sightings, with one of the 1,000-pound creatures dipping in a Uplands Drive pool in 2020. 

In 2023, a bear was shot and killed in Kanata. At the time, authorities tried to remove the animal safely, but said it had to be put down “to ensure the safety of residents in the surrounding area.”

The same bear was previously seen in Bell’s Corners near Bell High School. 

Wildlife advocate Lisa Marie Darragh, who is also a Bell’s Corners resident, was outraged when she heard the bear had been killed. To raise awareness, she launched an online group to educate people about how to coexist safely with wildlife. 

“If you choose to live in an urban forest community, it should be a rule that you choose to embrace wildlife,” she told the Lookout. ”I honestly think there should be pamphlets in people's houses when they buy the home, saying you will be visited by wildlife, and that you need to accept that. With the proposed densification coming from the city, that's going to change a lot of things, and it's going to make it harder for wildlife to have safe spaces.” 

A fond farewell and the need to coexist 

On July 19, about 35 people attended a vigil at William's Park in Bells Corners to say goodbye to their furry fox friend and renew calls for enhanced safety measures to protect wildlife in urban settings. 

The roughly hour-long service was led by Fr. Daryold Corbiere Winkler of St. Basil’s Church, an Ojibway Catholic priest from M'Chigeeng First Nation, who performed a smudging ceremony. 

The Indigenous ceremony is practiced for cleansing and purification. It involves burning sacred medicines like sage, cedar, sweet grass, and tobacco, and using the smoke to cleanse a space, object, or person. This practice promotes spiritual well-being and connection to the natural world. 

During remarks, Fr. Daryold mentioned how all major religions have scripture that references the respect animals deserve. Community members shared their stories of Bella and said they were never afraid. 

A Bell High student said the fox made a cameo in her yearbook. One man said the furry friend once walked beside him during a morning walk, which he mistakenly thought was his dog. Another woman said she’d throw chicken legs in her backyard, which Bella would take to her young kits. One Mexican national who immigrated to Canada from the United States a year ago said they encountered Bella during their first day in Bell’s Corners and saw the sly fox as a community mascot. 

Despite Bella’s tragic end, naturalist Ferguson said Bella’s Corners showed a successful example of how a fox and a community could live together in urbanization for five years.  

She said the first step in creating co-habitats is dispelling misconceptions that if an animal is wild, it must be dangerous. 

“The fear of getting attacked is mostly a fairy tale. It’s based on fear, misconceptions and misinformation we had for years growing up,” said Ferguson. “Foxes manage the tick and rodent populations. They provide benefits as pest control. It heals and keeps the ecosystem in balance.”

What are some of those misconceptions? 

With bears, Ferguson said, if you hear one huff, it isn’t an automatic sign they plan to attack you. Instead, she said they will give several warnings before making contact. 

And if you see a raccoon outside during the day, it doesn’t mean the creature has rabies. 

“Raccoons actually do come out during the day, especially when they have babies and are hungry,” said Ferguson. “If there are too many opportunistic feeders at night, they will also come out during the day. Foxes are the same way. They play a valuable role in maintaining a healthier environment.”

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THE OTTAWA NUMBER

1,192

🛑 The number of road closures, full or partial, in Ottawa’s east end in 2023 and 2024. It’s been a challenging few years for residents, with no end in sight this year either. Read more. [CTV]

THE AGENDA

⚽️ In sporting news, Ottawa Rapid beat Calgary Wild on Saturday, 3-0, for the team’s 5th straight win. They’re now 3rd in the NSL standings out of six teams. Read more. [CTV]

🏈 Chances are, you’ve seen the video of Astronomer's CEO getting caught cheating while at a Coldplay concert. During Sunday’s Redblacks football game, two super fans recreated the moment in a now-viral video. Watch it here. [X]

🏒 You may think the deal for the Senators to purchase LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission (NCC) is taking forever. And you’d be right. But the deal is supposedly moving closer, with a potential vote by the NCC board coming as soon as Sept. 23. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏊‍♀️ Over in Gatineau at Lac Leamy, you can now partake in water activities, but swimming isn’t one of them. The area had been closed to those activities because of a “hydrocarbon spill.” Investigators have not yet determined what caused it. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏠 The average income needed to buy a home in Ottawa was $135,960 last month, up slightly from $134,020 in May. Those numbers increased in 12 of the 13 markets surveyed by Ratehub.ca, with Ottawa having the third-highest increase in the country. Read more. [CTV]

📚 If you are a lover of romance books, then chances are you have read Carley Fortune’s novel Every Summer After. Set in Barry’s Bay in Renfrew County, the complicated love story keeps you on your toes. Now it’s being turned into a television show for Amazon Prime Video and some big Hollywood actors are part of the cast. Read more. [CBC]

👮‍♂️ A third person has been charged in connection with the killing of Wilson Sabarros, who was found dead inside his Barrhaven home in January. Michael Journal Prest, 20, has been charged with first-degree murder. Read more. [CBC]

EVENTS

Wood Terrace Series | National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St | July 22–23, 7 pm | Free outdoor music concerts on the terrace | Free

A Very Peachy Wednesday | Broadhead Brewery, Ottawa | July 23, 5 pm | Peach beer, snacks & live music | Free

Hintonburg Night Market | 1088 Somerset St. W | Jul. 24, 7 pm | Night market with handmade goods & food | Free

Vegans Who Snack Food and Art Festival | 366 Parkdale Ave | Jul. 25, 1 pm | Vegan food, art, music, 60+ small vendors | Free

Antique, Vintage & Thrift Market | 1088 Somerset St. W | Jul. 26, 2 pm | Vintage market with food, art & dry bar | Free

Queer Market at Next Door Ottawa | 955A Gladstone Ave | Jul. 26–27, 7 am | LGBTQIA+ artists, vendors, 2-day celebration | Free

Gloucester Market @ St. Gabriel's | 55 Appleford St | Jul. 26, 11 am | Family market with vendors, raffles, BBQ | Free

Antique, Vintage & Thrift Market | 1088 Somerset St. W | July 26, 2 pm | Retro shopping & vintage finds | Free

Queer Market at Next Door Ottawa | Next Door Market & Event Space, 955A Gladstone Ave | July 26–27, 11 am | LGBTQIA+ makers market, art & handmade goods | Free

Pride Pop-Up Market | Somerset Square Park, 2 Spadina Ave | July 27, 12 pm | Pride-themed art, food & entertainment | Free

Dumpling Fest Ottawa | Multiple restaurants, Ottawa K2P 2E3 | Jul. 30, 5:30 pm | Dumpling tasting plates from top restaurants | Tickets $55–$77

Nostalgia Music Festival | LeBreton Flats, Ottawa | Aug. 20–24 | Tribute bands from the 70s–90s, food, bars | Tickets $63

North American Festival of Wales | Sparks Street, Ottawa | Aug. 27–31 | Welshfest street party, concerts, hymn sings | Free

NEW JOBS

Discover your new dream job in Ottawa:

• Managing editor at Canadian Geographic

• Research officer at Public Service Alliance of Canada

• Policy analyst, health at Assembly of First Nations

• Manager Leadership and Learning at The Royal

• Executive director, academic operations and planning at Algonquin College

OTTAWA QUIZ

SPORTS

Loss to Ti-Cats drops last place Redblacks to 1-6

Maybe next time: It was a must-win game for the Ottawa Redblacks Sunday, and unfortunately, they came up short.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats came into TD Place Stadium and earned a 30-15 win over the home team Redblacks. The loss means the Redblacks will have to climb a steep mountain to make the Canadian Football League playoffs as they sit in last place with a 1-6 record.

• “Nine field goals in two games isn’t going to cut it,” said Redblacks coach Bob Dyce said in his post-game interview on TSN 1200 after the Redblacks failed to score an offensive touchdown for the second straight game.

The Redblacks continually got in the red zone, but all they could muster offensively were five Lewis Ward field goals.

What happened: Starting quarterback Dru Brown got knocked out of the game after a helmet-to-helmet hit. Brown had completed six of eight passes for 66 yards and an interception at that point in the game. Dustin Crum came on in relief and had one of his best games in Ottawa, completing 16 of 22 yards for 149 yards. His only interception was on a 55-yard bomb when the Redblacks were at their own one yard line.

Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was 21 for 33 for 327 yards with a touchdown to Kenny Lawlor. Mitchell passed Tracy Ham to move into 10th-place all-time among CFL passers.

Mitchell’s only interception was on the first play of the fourth quarter. With Ottawa trailing 20-12, Adarius Pickett intercepted a Mitchell pass and returned it 43 yards. The Redblacks could have tied the game with a touchdown and a two-point convert, but they once again settled for a Ward field goal.

GOOD NEWS MONDAY

If this good news that Ottawa has its first mould detection dog? Yes. Is this story also an opportunity for us to share a photo of this very good girl Sunny? Also yes. [CTV]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Congrats to Glenna Gosewich, who marked her 30th year volunteering with Ottawa Bluesfest! [CTV]

• Looking for good vegan restaurants? Ottawa Reddit users shared their favourites.

• Looking for that viral Dubai chocolate? You can grab it at this spot on Bank Street. [CTV]

• This 20-year-old Orléans violinist just won a $25,000 prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. [CTV] 

• Here is a sneak peek of Ottawa’s soon-to-open Stage 2 LRT line. [Rail Fans Canada]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

ON THIS DAY

July 21, 1958: Four thousand acres of land purchased by the Federal District Commission to establish the Greenbelt were taken over for an extension of the Central Experimental Farm. The rectangular tract west of Woodroffe Avenue and running north of Fallowfield Road would be used for animal research. Almost all of the 35 owners the FDC dealt with were descendants of the original settlers who began farming there over a century prior. 

• A debate was brewing over who should own the Ottawa Transport Commission. The Board of Control planned to retain public ownership of the entity by approving a debenture of more than $2 million. Businessman Hyman Bessin broadcast his support for making it a private enterprise over the radio and had a $5.1 million offer. But Ottawa’s mayor supported keeping it public, planning to convert the streetcars to buses over a few years.  

July 21, 1972: The provincial government launched an inquiry into the administration and management of Algonquin College. This came after calls from students and faculty for an investigation. 

A spokesperson for the college said “a surprising number” of senior administrative officials, from deans up, indicated they would be seeking jobs elsewhere.

Information is from the Ottawa Journal archives on newspapers.com