THUNDER BAY -- If Rebecca Johnson has enough support, a local zoo could be closed by next year.
The at-large councillor brought up the cost of the Chippewa Wildlife Exhibit several times during budget deliberations. It costs the city around $3,000 for each of the zoo's 34 animals while the parks has seen declining revenues. She wanted to have the zoo closed by this summer but administration said there wouldn't be enough time to find new homes for the animals.
On Monday, Johnson is instead putting a motion forward looking to get the operating and capital costs of closing the zoo into the Chippewa Park Master Plan, expected later this year. The motion also asks that the information come back to city council before next year's budget is presented. If passed, Johnson said that would mean it's only a matter of time before the zoo is closed.
"It has to be in there that this is closing not just a nice report," she said.
Johnson said anything could happen Monday but she suspects there are enough votes around the table to make it a serious discussion.
The Friends of Chippewa Park had asked city council to wait to make a decision on the zoo until the park's master plan was complete. Treasurer Bill Fontaine said declining revenue seemed to coincide with the closure of the park's rollercoaster and James Street Swing Bridge.
People also need to know that most of the animals there were either born in captivity or saved by the MNR as orphans.
"These animals and birds do not know any other existence,” Lafontaine said. “None can exist in the wild.”
Council will also ratify the budget Monday. Johnson, forced to miss the last budget meeting, is bringing forward a number of amendments to try and get the proposed 4.64 tax levy increase. She wants to see it at no more than two per cent.
