HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-12-081 - Victoria Park SwanREPORT TO:
Finance & Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
September 24, 2012
SUBMITTED BY:
Greg Hummel, Manager of Park Planning, Development and
Operations, ext. 4598
PREPARED BY:
Tim Wolfe, Supervisor of Major Parks and Horticulture, ext.
4173
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
Ward 9
DATE OF REPORT:
September 24, 2012
REPORT NO.:
INS-12-081
SUBJECT: VICTORIA PARK SWAN
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council authorize a donation of $500.00 to Wildlife Haven Ontario Wildlife Rescue in
appreciation of the goodwill services rendered to the swan.
BACKGROUND:
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Earlier in the afternoon on September 14, staff had noticed that one of the swans had made its
way up the creek from the Victoria Park Lake. Staff had corralled the swan and made its way
back to the lake. Once into the park the swan went into the fore-bay where there was no
apparent injury or health issue and the swan appeared normal. This walking away from the lake
happens regularly and the swans are retrieved from abutting residential yards, the clock tower
and near the Schneider House.
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On September 14 an after-hours call was received by the Corporate Contact Centre indicating
that a swan was stuck in fore-bay at Victoria Park Lake.
As the swan had been in the fore-bay earlier in the afternoon and they have been in this location
before, the supervisor who had been called believed that the swan would be okay. It was also
relayed to the CCC that we would have the weekend staff check on the swan and monitor its
behaviour.
Approximately forty-five minutes later a subsequent call was made to the CCC indicating that
the swan was pulled from the fore-bay and appeared to be quite lethargic, was not moving and
breathing heavy. Typically after long walks away from the lake the swans become exhausted
and will come to shore to rest. As this is typical, it was thought that once on shore the bird could
rest and would be back to normal shortly.
The CCC received another call at approximately 6:00 p.m. indicating that the swan was not in
good health and that the city should have responded quicker. The CCC was also told that the
resident had called the Humane Society and that they would be there to deal with the situation.
With the Humane Society dealing with the issue, staff believed that the swan was in good
hands.
Shortly after this message was received, the supervisor was in direct contact with the Humane
Society and it was then noted that the Humane Society did not respond as the swan was
property of the City of Kitchener.
At this time calls were made to staff to go to the park to pick up the swan and take it to the
emergency veterinary clinic on Maple Grove Road. Upon arrival to the location the swan was
not where staff was instructed to go and citizens at the site informed staff that someone took the
swan to a veterinary clinic. At this time staff were informed that the swan was confirmed dead.
It was confirmed with staff that Ms. Joy Huggins (a Veterinarian) was called in by a citizen and
assisted with the swan. Once the death was confirmed she had the swan frozen so that it could
be delivered to the University of Guelph Pathology Department. Once received by the
University, an autopsy would be performed.
REPORT:
The Corporate Contact Centre did all they could with information they had at hand especially
since there wasn’t a protocol in place.
A call of this nature is not a common occurrence but having a protocol in place is imperative to
avoid confusion in the future.
Since this incident, a new communication between the Humane Society and the City of
Kitchener has now been clarified and both parties are on board to assist in future calls. The
Preston Veterinary Clinic will be the primary veterinary provider and the emergency after hours
contact number will be provided with the new protocol criteria.
Additional staff will be trained on proper handling procedures of the swans and therefore more
staff will be available in case of an after hour call involving swans in the future.
An increased monitoring of the other swan has been instructed to ensure it is healthy and not
suffering from any signs of depression.
Due to the rare occurrences of these types of events in the past there hasn’t been a need for on
call staff and once the new protocol is in place this can be handled promptly.
The City of Kitchener would also like to commend Joy Huggins from Wildlife Haven Ontario
Wildlife Rescue for her assistance during this event and her graciousness to assist with the
handling of the swan and transporting it to the University of Guelph.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The donation of $500 is to be taken from the account number 6527475 Environmental Services
Victoria Park Maintenance.
CONCLUSION:
With new protocols in place future calls will be dealt with quicker with both staff and the Humane
Society and impact to park users will be minimized.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jim Witmer, Interim Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services Department