Ministry ‘intended’ to close centre
Chris Davies of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) contends there “was never any intent on our part to shut down the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre”.
In fact, the MNR carried out a very deliberate campaign to shut down the Wildlife Centre, which will leave area residents without any help for orphaned or injured wildlife this spring.
Consider that 1) MNR revoked the centre’s exemption to release orphaned wildlife outside of one-kilometre of where rescued, meaning an orphaned baby squirrel would have to returned alone and terrified to a busy downtown area, ruling out any kind of responsible or humane rehabilitation 2) MNR expanded the high-risk zone, without justification, to include Ottawa, meaning no help can be provided for baby raccoons, skunks or foxes 3) the centre’s volunteers and staff were the subject of intimidation and harassment by MNR personnel wearing bullet-proof vests and guns when, between July and September, it seized 40 healthy young animals. These animals came from Ottawa where there has never been a case of raccoon rabies, they were fully vaccinated and had been in care for months beyond any conceivable disease incubation period 4) the animals were taken to an MNR research facility where the Centre, the media and a representative of the Canadian Council on Animal Care, a government-funded body that inspects research facilities, have all been denied access and 5) for good measure, the ministry has recently laid more vexatious charges against centre volunteers.
What Ottawa resident would risk bringing an animal for help to a centre governed by the unrealistic and inhumane regulations of MNR and what community volunteer would ever again want to expose themselves to the indefensible actions of a government bureaucracy so out of control?
How can Davies, with a straight face, possibly say the MNR didn’t intend to shut down the centre?
I would like to call his bluff. If, as he says his “preference is for animals to be rehabilitated” then return the animals taken from Ottawa so they can be properly cared for at a rehabilitation center not exploited in some research laboratory.
Donna DuBreuil,
Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre
Volunteer placements available
This is in regards to the article, Graduation in Jeopardy, in your Jan. 24 issue. The article stated that students are having difficulty finding volunteer hours.
As the co-ordinator of a social service agency utilizing volunteers, I understand some of the concerns of other agencies in dealing with young volunteers who may decide not to stay past their 40 hours.
Most social service agencies in the city have policies based on the risk to clients and the risk to the volunteer. To minimize the risk to anyone involved in the programs, significant training must occur. It is difficult to invest the hours in training someone who may do their 40 mandatory hours then leave.
Another issue with volunteers under 18 years of age is that most agencies require a police check for workers and volunteers and this is unable to be done for those under 18.
We accept volunteers regardless of age because it is our view that we not only benefit from the contributions students bring to us but that is part of our civic responsibility to provide support to young people to learn more about the city they live in and the broad spectrum of people that make up our diverse community. We assess individuals on their desire to contribute to our organization and have found students to be a definite asset.
In the article, it was mentioned that it was difficult to find volunteer placements. However Volunteer Ottawa or the Directory of Ottawa Community Services lists over 250 agencies that may require volunteers.
We enjoy having volunteers, students or non-students. We believe the volunteering process is beneficial to everyone involved.
Nicola Dunn,
Cornerstone co-ordinator,
MacLaren Street