No study by city on skunks, raccoons

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This article was published 06/01/2012 (5026 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Councillors shot down a proposed study of Winnipeg’s nuisance raccoon and skunks amid concerns it will call on the city’s animal services agency to do more wildlife control.

A city report released this week revealed Manitoba Conservation and private pest-control companies trap more than 1,200 raccoons and skunks within city limits every year. Winnipeg does not have a municipally subsidized raccoon program, but the city’s animal services agency rents traps for skunks and will euthanize the trapped animals.

Last year, Winnipeg’s animal services agency received 97 requests for skunk traps, up from 85 the previous year.

Council’s protection and community services chairwoman Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo) expressed concern the raccoon and skunk population could be on the rise and may pose a risk to children and pets. On Thursday, she asked members of council’s protection and community services committee to approve a study to find out whether the number of raccoon and skunks has increased in the past five years.

The idea was nixed by Couns. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) and Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre), who said there are ways for residents to wildlife-proof their home and it does not make sense to do a study that aims to increase the role of Winnipeg’s animal services agency.

Animal services chief operating officer Leland Gordon said most Canadian cities do not have wildlife-control programs to deal with raccoons and skunks with the exception of Regina, which receives only a few calls for service every year. Gordon said there are 20 private pest-control firms in Winnipeg that remove raccoons for a reasonable cost, and it is up to homeowners to wildlife-proof their home by ensuring all cracks are sealed and garbage-can lids are tightly locked.

Gordon said the agency has historically operated in a deficit, and the city would need to hire more staff and increase its budget before it tacks on additional responsibilities. Last year, the agency received 12,000 calls for service, up from 10,500 in 2010.

“We’re a little leery about adding services,” Gordon said.

Smith said the agency has enough to do and he doesn’t want to burden them with more work.

Havixbeck said she was disappointed by the committee’s decision and is concerned the population of raccoons and skunks could rise next spring if unseasonably warm temperatures continue throughout winter.

Winnipeg is studying ways to better control the population of other animals, including Canada geese and feral cats.

Some Winnipeg residents who see raccoons, skunks and other critters rummage through garbage cans in their neighbourhood think the city should do more wildlife control. Peter Waldie has lived in Riverview since 1998 and said raccoons roam the area “non-stop” during the spring and fall.

Raccoons invaded his neighbour’s attic, he said, scratch the side of his home and his garage, and scatter garbage in the back lane. Waldie said raccoons have hissed at his dog and climbed up scaffolding he had in place for a recent home renovation.

Next spring, he plans to construct a special garbage can the pests won’t be able to knock over.

“They’re a nuisance,” said Waldie, who has set up a video camera on his home to catch the raccoons in action. “They’re in the garbage in the back lane every day. On many occasions we’ve woken up in the middle of the night because we’ve heard scratching on the side of the house.”

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

Other city hall business:

Landlord slapped with order: Council’s protection and community services committee upheld a city order that calls on the landlord of 306 Beverley St., to fix the premises. Landlord Amy Tsang told the committee she has complained to the Residential Tenancies Branch about the current tenants, who she claims have not paid their rent or utilities bill. City administration said Tsang has known the site has been in need of repairs for a long time and the water knobs on the bathtub are so worn down the tenants have had to use pliers to turn them on. Tsang has 14 days to bring the place up to the minimum standard.

University of Manitoba grant: Council’s protection and community services committee voted against giving the U of M a $10,000 grant to help relocate art from Winnipeg’s old airport terminal. The committee denied the application and upheld the recommendation from Winnipeg city administration that said the organization is not a non-profit that offers sport or recreation activities or contributes to the health and well-being of the community. It will cost $110,000 to relocate Eli Bornstein’s Structurist Relief in Fifteen Parts to the Max Bell Centre at the U of M’s campus.

Residents win appeal: Council’s appeal committee voted to reject a developer’s bid to subdivide one lot on Pipeline Road into two smaller lots. The proposed lots would have been significantly smaller than other area homes, and residents in Seven Oaks Crossing argued they were not compatible with the neighbourhood.