The City of Oshawa issued a Public Notice about the coyote situation in Oshawa on Friday, Oct 8, 2021, stating the health and safety of our community is our top priority and posted a lot of information, highlighting action plans to:
1) coordinate a virtual community information session on co-existing with coyotes;
2) develop a Coyote Education and Response Strategy, in consultation with the Oshawa Animal Care Advisory Committee and report back to the Corporate Services Committee; and,
3) advise and consult with the school boards on Coyote Education and Response Strategy
In my opinion, the following specific actions outlined in the Notice are of particular interest to try and help address concerns:
A) conducting a privacy impact assessment in consideration of installing trail cameras to help collect useful data on the number of coyotes and coyote behaviour;
B) implementing improvements to Service Oshawa’s tracking system to provide better data on the types of interactions and encounters residents are experiencing;
C) confirming with Durham Regional Police Service on their coyote response approach;
D) researching the location of feral cat colonies and any potential impact to coyote behaviour; and,
E) increasing door-to-door communications by Municipal Law Enforcement Officers.
F) "As this matter is a priority, it is anticipated that the proposed Coyote Education and Response Strategy will be on the NOVEMBER Corporate Services Committee meeting agenda."
By the way, that Corporate Services Committee meeting will be Monday November 8, 2021 at 9:30 am.
1) coordinate a virtual community information session on co-existing with coyotes;
2) develop a Coyote Education and Response Strategy, in consultation with the Oshawa Animal Care Advisory Committee and report back to the Corporate Services Committee; and,
3) advise and consult with the school boards on Coyote Education and Response Strategy
In my opinion, the following specific actions outlined in the Notice are of particular interest to try and help address concerns:
A) conducting a privacy impact assessment in consideration of installing trail cameras to help collect useful data on the number of coyotes and coyote behaviour;
B) implementing improvements to Service Oshawa’s tracking system to provide better data on the types of interactions and encounters residents are experiencing;
C) confirming with Durham Regional Police Service on their coyote response approach;
D) researching the location of feral cat colonies and any potential impact to coyote behaviour; and,
E) increasing door-to-door communications by Municipal Law Enforcement Officers.
F) "As this matter is a priority, it is anticipated that the proposed Coyote Education and Response Strategy will be on the NOVEMBER Corporate Services Committee meeting agenda."
By the way, that Corporate Services Committee meeting will be Monday November 8, 2021 at 9:30 am.
The question arose at the October 4, 2021 Corporate Services Committee meeting, when a parent of a child who received a coyote bite in Northway Court Park July 1, 2021 made a delegation and asked if the City planned to cull the coyotes as he made it clear he did not accept co-existence.
For the past year the only position from all I encountered was that accepting co-existence is the prudent and accepted path forward. But that was before children were bitten by coyotes in Oshawa.
Last November I was worried about children around a school when many reported a coyote on the school property, but listened to those who advocated the Coyote Watch Canada approach.
Delving into this further because likely Council will be needing to decide for or against a cull or try other tactics, there are compelling articles on both sides: One has a picture of a Holstein (black and while) calf's head and only its spine left, everything else eaten reportedly by coyotes, in a hunters' article about how there is a strong need for coyotes to be culled.
Diametrically opposed are the 'fur friends' articles what vehemently state culls don't make any difference, in fact, have a negative impact as the coyote pups are left untrained by the parent to live in the wild.
Aggressive dogs are euthanized, but when it comes to a one-off kill of a predator coyote in the urban environment, it seems the police have to be on site when the attack is happening to draw a gun...and that doesn't really happen much does it? The 'Wilie Coyote' leaves pretty quickly...so to those who consider trapping...well in Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C. they expected to trap over 30 in a two week period in September, but trapped just 4 (and that was after 45 people between Dec 2020 and August 2021 were reported being nipped or bitten by coyotes in the park). Btw when they are trapped they are not relocated, they are killed.
For the past year the only position from all I encountered was that accepting co-existence is the prudent and accepted path forward. But that was before children were bitten by coyotes in Oshawa.
Last November I was worried about children around a school when many reported a coyote on the school property, but listened to those who advocated the Coyote Watch Canada approach.
Delving into this further because likely Council will be needing to decide for or against a cull or try other tactics, there are compelling articles on both sides: One has a picture of a Holstein (black and while) calf's head and only its spine left, everything else eaten reportedly by coyotes, in a hunters' article about how there is a strong need for coyotes to be culled.
Diametrically opposed are the 'fur friends' articles what vehemently state culls don't make any difference, in fact, have a negative impact as the coyote pups are left untrained by the parent to live in the wild.
Aggressive dogs are euthanized, but when it comes to a one-off kill of a predator coyote in the urban environment, it seems the police have to be on site when the attack is happening to draw a gun...and that doesn't really happen much does it? The 'Wilie Coyote' leaves pretty quickly...so to those who consider trapping...well in Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C. they expected to trap over 30 in a two week period in September, but trapped just 4 (and that was after 45 people between Dec 2020 and August 2021 were reported being nipped or bitten by coyotes in the park). Btw when they are trapped they are not relocated, they are killed.

