The grace period for feeding certain wildlife in the city is over.
As of May 1 the city ended its education portion of a Feb. 27 by-law prohibiting people from feeding deer, seagulls and geese within city limits. Anyone who continues to do so could face up to $5,000 in fines.
But city by-law enforcement manager Ron Bourret said he’s seen a huge voluntary compliance rate based on the people his officers have spoken with so far.
“They’ve been very compliant. They understand the reason and the rationale,” Bourret said.
“Sometimes we have to do things we disagree with but we have to think of others as well.”
The process is complaint-driven. Once a complaint is received, an officer will go to the property and if they see that feeding wildlife is a problem, will ask the person to stop. But if the feeding continues after two warning letters, a summons to court could be issued. The city has a 95 per cent voluntary compliance rate with by-laws, one of the highest in the province Bourret said.
“Yes it takes more times sometimes to get compliance but at the end of the day these are bylaws they’re not criminal offences,” he said. “It’s reactive for us, we’re not proactive in this we don’t have the resources.”
That’s good news for Mission Island resident Robert McCallum. On any given day, McCallum can be seen throwing feed around his property as countless deer graze around his home.
Bourret said the city hasn’t received a complaint about McCallum and until a neighbour does, they won’t investigate. McCallum, an animal lover, said he thinks his neighbours are just fine with what he does.
“I can’t see anybody over here complaining about it,” he said. “If nobody complains I’ll be able to feed them.”
While safety has been cited as the main reason for council’s decision to pass the by-law, McCallum thinks he is actually making the city and deer safer by feeding them at his home.
“I know if I don’t feed them they’re going to go to town and look for food,” he said.
And while collisions are another concern, something McCallum agrees could be a problem elsewhere, drivers on the island know the deer are there.
“You’re not going to run into them if you’re cautious.”
