Bird-release becomes three-headed fundraiser

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This article was published 21/07/2023 (863 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Things are about to get chirpy this weekend at Barrier Bay Resort.

On Saturday, the Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is set to release four rehabilitated songbirds back into the wild at the site east of Pinawa, while raising funds to save more.

“The money that is made on that day goes back to the (Winnipeg-headquartered non-profit),” said Erica Seales, co-owner of Barrier Bay Resort. “They come out, they talk about what they do, and then they release a bird.”

Seales, who acquired the resort 11 years ago, has been continuing the tradition, inviting cabin-goers and community members to observe the bird releases and support wildlife rehabilitation.

An assortment of crowd-pleasers, from hot dogs to face painting to carnival games, will be on-site Saturday. Proceeds from a silent auction with items donated by the surrounding community will go to the partner organizations.

This year, the animal rehab centre has new fundraising teammates: Kevin Howie Search and Rescue Fund and the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team. It’s the first time the event has supported multiple organizations.

In 2005, Howie, 28, drowned in Nutimik Lake, not far from Barrier Bay. A memorial fund was set up in his name to support future search and rescue missions in Manitoba.

“When (the Howie family’s) son was missing, he went out fishing and he didn’t come back,” Seales said. “When they did the search and rescue, they didn’t have dive teams like what they have now.”

Since 2016, the HEART team of volunteer divers has taken part in more than 50 search and rescue missions. Initially created to respond to drownings at Hutterite colonies, it now assists in efforts across the province.

“Anybody that has a need or a loved one can give us a call. Because we’re funded by the Hutterite colonies, and it’s set up as a charity, there’s no financial burden on any family to call us,” HEART dive team co-ordinator Paul Maendel said.

Over the years, HEART began to deploy fewer human divers in favour of a safer, more precise alternative: robotics.

“We have some of the most technically advanced search and rescue tools that are available in the industry,” Maendel said. “We were able to find and locate (the body of Usaid Habib, 12, who drowned at Sturgeon Falls in May) and recover him without employing a diver.”

Aside from operations costs, Maendel said funds raised will go toward acquiring HEART headquarters, where it plans to train more divers and store equipment.

PWRC rehabilitates between 1,500 and 2,400 animals, president Lisa Tretiak said. Around 40 per cent of them are released back into the wild.

The organization is funded through private donors, its annual Walk for Wildlife, and merchandise sales. Funds raised at the bird release will cover animal food, medical care and paying its roster of summer employees, among other operations.

Tretiak believes the Barrier Bay bird-release event does more for the PWRC than just raising funds. By making cabin-goers and community members aware of its existence, they’ll know who to call when they come across an animal in need.

“When they’re out in the cottage area, they may have interactions with wildlife,” Tretiak said.

“If they encounter something with the animal and they’re not sure whether it should be interfered with (or) if it should come into rehab, we always want to encourage them to call us or email or check out our website.”

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca