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Much ado about bird poo Dartmouth councillor says duck, pigeon overpopulation leaving a mess By SUSAN BRADLEY Staff Reporter April 4, 2007 It's a fowl problem that needs to be cleaned up. Halifax municipal councillor Gloria McCluskey wants any plans to improve city land around Lake Banook and Sullivans Pond to include fewer ducks. "Get rid of the ducks," Ms. McCluskey, who represents Dartmouth Centre, said Tuesday "That's the big thing. We have an overpopulation problem. The walkways are dirty. The swans or the white ones, or whatever they are, are fine, but we need to get rid of pigeons, gulls and ducks to make it more attractive to all the people that go there." The city is holding a public workshop Wednesday at the Findlay Community Centre to discuss neighbourhood issues, projects to improve recreation areas and funding needed to upgrade the area's paddling facilities. "It's a beautiful area of the city and it's been neglected," Ms. McCluskey said. "We have to do a number of things because we're getting the world canoe championship in 2009, so we'll have a showcase for the world. We want to make this place look as great as we can." Lake Banook will also be the site of the 2008 national canoe championships. The Dartmouth councillor would also like to see better spectator and judging facilities. "I don't agree with that big concrete structure (the David Jones Memorial Judges Tower) that's up there. Maybe that should really be removed. It is very outdated. We can really tidy that up." But the bird problem needs to be solved and the only way to reduce their numbers is for people to stop feeding them, she said. "I know some people will be unhappy because they want to feed the ducks, but we need to get the ducks out of there." Halifax Regional Municipality has made a number of attempts over the years to educate the public about the problems associated with feeding wild ducks. The two areas of most concern have been the Halifax Public Gardens and Sullivans Pond Park, which have seen exponential growth in their duck populations. Lake Banook, Julie's Pond in Hemlock Ravine Park and Frog Pond in Fleming Park are other problem sites. Public feeding has changed the migratory behaviours of the wild animals to the point where they stay behind in the winter. "As well, ponds and waterways have become polluted by the resulting high nitrogen levels caused by duck feces and larger-than-sustainable populations have created erosion of turf areas, flower beds and pond walls, exposing tree roots and damaging plant life," a municipal parks pamphlet said. And park users could be killing the birds with kindness. "The wildlife people are all telling us that it's not good for them - that if you're going to feed them bread, you should give them Pepto-Bismol as well because it just goes through them," municipal property planner Peter Bigelow has warned. "It just creates an amazing mess and the ducks aren't healthy as a result." Participants at Wednesday's meeting, being held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., will include Ekistics Planning and Design of Dartmouth, the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission and Sport Nova Scotia. ( sbradley@herald.ca)
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