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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 15 ,2 02 1 | 12 oakville.ca receipt no later than noon on May 10, 2021, to ensure its availability to the Members of Council at the meeting. Individuals wishing to make an oral submission at the public meeting are strongly encouraged to contact the Clerk's Department by noon on Friday, May 7, 2021, by email to: TownClerk@Oakville.ca or call 905-815-6015 to register as a delegation and to obtain instructions on how to participate. Requests to participate electronically will also be received during the meeting to ensure that those watching the live stream will be given the opportunity to speak. Instructions will be given on how to speak to an item during the live stream of the meeting. All submissions should include the full name and address of the presenter. A copy of the proposed official plan amendment and information and material will be available to the public for inspection on or after April, 15 2021 along with more information about this matter, including preserving your appeal rights at https://www.oakville.ca/planoakville/ bronte-go-mtsa.html, or contact Brad Sunderland, Policy Planner, Planning Services department at 905-845-6601, ext. 3043 (TTY 905-338-4200) or at brad.sunderland@ oakville.ca If you have any accessibility needs, please advise Brad Sunderland one week before the meeting. The personal information accompanying your submission is being collected under the authority of the PlanningAct, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended, andmay formpart of the public record which may be released to the public. Dated at the Town of Oakville April 15, 2021 Continued Burlington and Oak- ville, no doubt similar to other urban areas where coyotes brazenly wander the streets, are divided communities when it comes to liking or loathing the predators. There are those who earnestly believe people and wildlife must learn to coexist. And there are those who don't, or at the very least, feel coyotes should have a healthier fear of humans and that pets should be safe from coyote attacks in their own backyards. Halton Residents for Better Coyote Manage- ment was recently formed by residents from the latter group with an aim to build awareness and look for po- tential solutions. Members have asked for bylaw changes to allow property owners to build higher fences, as well as for municipalities to release more small animals into wooded areas to ensure an adequate food supply, and hazings where there are identified dens. Renata Lindop, who lost her dog to a coyote just be- fore Christmas and was in- strumental in forming the group, "fully respects the need for a healthy coexis- tence between humans and nature." However, she be- lieves, in the case of coy- otes, citizens should be alerted to potential dan- gers through clearer mu- nicipal signage to include the fact that coyotes can clear a six-foot backyard fence. "I don't think the aver- age person knows that. People live in a false sense of security with our fence in (the) backyard. I feel that maybe if that was posted and outlined, people might be more vigilant about pets in their fenced-in back- yards," said Lindop. But higher fences would not solve the problem, nor would the addition of more rodents, said Sean O'Mea- ra, town councillor for Ward 1 (Bronte area), an ar- ea which residents have complained is overrun with coyotes, along with southeast Burlington. "What we heard from the experts (at a recent community coyote meet- ing) is that a simple higher fence in one backyard does not stop coyotes from clim- bing into another backyard and coming through side fences," said O'Meara. Expert data also indi- cates that a lack of live food sources is not the issue; re- moval of "easier" food sources, such as bird feed- ers, garbage and BBQ grease, does more to keep coyotes out of our neigh- bourhoods, he said. Licensed trapper Robert Gurney, a director with the Ontario Fur Managers Federation, tends to agree. "I feel their pain, but hu- mans have kind of brought it on themselves," said Gur- ney, who has heard from an increasing number of frus- trated suburbanites, in- cluding some from Halton. "Everybody seems to figure it's because we built so much, coyotes have no place to go, but that's not it at all. Humans leave food out for their pets, they leave their pets out, they make kind of a smorgas- bord for the coyotes. They're starting to lose their fear of humans." "We get calls from all ar- eas; coyotes are not just a problem (in Halton). They seem to be everywhere. The number of coyote calls is definitely going up." Most people who con- tact Gurney have lost a pet to a coyote and want the an- imal removed from the ar- ea. Once he explains the challenges involved, how- ever, the caller has mixed feelings. "I can come down and set these restraining devic- es that we are allowed to use, but there's a good chance I'm going to get somebody's dog .... I would love to help people out, but my conscience says don't do it." In 30 years of experi- ence, Gurney has wit- nessed many a wily coyote. He said they are not only capable of clearing eight- foot fences, but of digging under fences and are agile climbers. Lindop's group also wants the number of pet deaths by coyote attacks re- corded. One Oakville fami- ly who recently lost their dog, however, would not speak out, fearing an on- slaught of hurtful com- ments on social media from the "coyote huggers," as member Julie Martin puts it. "The trails may be coy- ote territory, but our back- yards are not," said Oak- ville's Martin. LIKE 'EM OR LOATHE 'EM Top, Julie Martin purchased these coyote protection vests with spikes to protect her dogs. Right, a coyote wanders through a backyard on Woodland Drive in east Oakville recently. Julie Martin photo KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com NEWS COMMUNITIES DIVIDED ON FEELINGS ABOUT COYOTES Neel Lukka photo