Winnipeg athletic fields may need to be shut down due to burrowing squirrels
Squirrels are free to keep tunnelling through Winnipeg fields, much to the detriment of groundskeepers and city council alike.
At its Friday meeting, the city's community services committee learned the province's recent decision to deny the city a permit to use sulphur gas to control squirrel populations marked the first time one of its pesticide applications was given the red light.
'The province said we didn't consider alternatives enough,' said David Domke, parks and open space manager with the city.
The city wanted to use the pesticide, called Giant Destroyer, to eradicate ground squirrels from a number of Winnipeg athletic fields, which it said pose a safety risk through the tunnels they create.
City officials told the committee they have continued to research what can be done to stop the rodents from burrowing any more.
'We have to deal with it because there are fields that we are looking at closing down right now,' Domke said, noting Fairgrove Park specifically will need to be shut down due to the chasms.
He added the city shouldn't bother to appeal, since little can be done to control the animal at this time of year, as the males are now hibernating.
However, the females will be active until July.
The city had previously used a coagulant poison to control squirrel populations, but it was suspended in 2014 due to safety concerns surrounding dogs and birds of prey.
- With files from CTV's Jon Hendricks and Charles Lefebvre
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Earthquakes Canada confirms early morning seismic event in Sudbury
Earthquakes Canada has confirmed a seismic event at Creighton Mine in Sudbury. Vale officials say the fault slip was caused by a blast.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Vale confirms seismic activity at mine prior to Sudbury earthquake
Vale confirms seismic activity at two Sudbury mines on the weekend with Earthquakes Canada recording a 2.8-magnitude earthquake on Sunday afternoon. With all of the mining activity in the Sudbury area, residents will occasionally experience seismic activity. The most recent earthquake happened at 2:17 p.m. Jan. 22 about 22 kilometres northeast of the city, Earthquakes Canada said. 'We can confirm that a number of seismic events occurred at Creighton Mine from 11:55 am to 12:30 pm Saturday ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 in magnitude. Seismicity was also detected at Garson Mine on Sunday at roughly 2:17 PM, measuring 3.1 in magnitude,' Jeffrey Lewis told CTV News in an email. 'No one was injured during the events and we immediately implemented our internal seismic response protocol to ensure the safety of our workforce. Operations will ramp up following inspection and as seismicity returns to background levels.' Of the 180 community reports on the intensity of the earthquake, most recorded it as weak and light shaking with no damage. It has been about seven months since the last time the Nickel City felt an earthquake when a 3.1-magnitude mining-related quake shook the area 13 km northeast of the city at Vale's Garson Mine at a depth of 1.5 kilometres. 'Seismicity can occur as part of mining, especially at significant depths. Our emergency response processes are in place to ensure rigorous safety protocols are followed when seismic events occur,' Lewis said. 'Residents with questions or concerns may call Vale's Community Concerns Line at 705-222-VALE.'
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Montreal transit strike takes mounting toll on atypical shift workers, seniors
Many commuters across Montreal have voiced growing frustration over a public transit strike that has limited bus and Metro service across the city since last week. But for those who work atypical shifts and rely on transit outside of service hours, the disruption has been especially difficult. Cassiel Pépin Morales braves early mornings to start his 6 a.m. shift at a Montreal bakery. But his work hours fall outside the reduced service times. "It's very hard emotionally and financially," he said. "I can't really keep going like this." He usually leaves home at 5 a.m., but due to the reduced schedule, he's been setting out closer to 4 a.m. He also recalls having to ride home on a Bixi for two hours after a shift. With a part-time job at the bakery, he said Ubering to and from work is not an option for him, and taxis are often full. "I would've had to pay $84 to go to work, which is more than I make in a day," he said. Although he paid for a monthly Opus card, it's currently sitting unused, which adds to the financial burden. He says he's now forced to consider looking for work closer to home if public transit remains "unreliable." The conflict between the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and maintenance workers, who launched a strike last week, has also been impacting seniors like Ronald Finnegan, a retired Montrealer who typically runs errands during off-peak hours to avoid bigger crowds. He's been ordering groceries online and relying on Uber to get around. "Sometimes, I can get someone from the residence to give me a lift, but that's not always convenient. I like to be independent, I like the independence that public transit gives me." Speaking over videoconference after a gathering with other seniors, Finnegan explained that he hasn't let the strike interfere with his daily activities. The only thing that might stop him, he says, is the air quality. He can afford a few Uber trips for now, but warns that won't last. "Hopefully it won't go too long because then, it really starts to cut into your budget," said Finnegan. Long-term consequences on commuters' behaviours Gary Saxe, executive director of Project Genesis, has noticed the impact of the reduction of bus and Metro services on vulnerable populations. He described many residents in the neighbourhood near Côte-Sainte-Catherine Metro station in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce as low income and often isolated. "It's really hard on them, there are no other options," said Saxe. He said some need public transportation to bring their children to medical appointments or to get to overnight jobs. "People are living way below the poverty line, struggling every day with housing problems and income problems," he said, highlighting the need for public transit. "It's not just a business, it's a needed service for people." Ahmed El-Geneidy, a professor at McGill University who teaches transport planning, echoes Saxe's concerns. "This planned disruption is actually harming the most vulnerable in the society," he said. El-Geneidy noted that among the most affected are early-morning workers at coffee shops and hospital staff who must be physically present at their jobs. He said society needs to return to the "mentality we had during COVID," when transit was recognized as an essential service. "We kept the transit and we put a lot of money in there and we felt it was an essential service. Today, we are saying: 'No, it's not that essential,'" said El-Geneidy. He argued that disruptions like this strike might have long-term consequences on people's behaviour when it comes to their transportation choices. According to him, they could push people who are "captive riders" — those who rely on public transit because they have no other option — to turn to cars once they gain access to alternatives. "They will not choose to be transit riders. Those are the ones you're going to harm the most," he said.
