Offices in Ottawa and Perth
(613) 722-1500

CONTACT US (613) 722-1500

Are the Animals Taking Back the Streets?

Are the Animals Taking Back the Streets?

By:

Mann Lawyers

Posted July 16, 2020

A few nights ago, while walking our dog on one of his very frequent walks since the start of COVID-19 and the direction to stay at home, I saw what I believe to have been a stoat.  I say believe to have been, because I had no idea what the animal was and had to look it up.  Apparently, it is a member of the weasel family, and prevalent enough that it is identified as an animal of Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and certainly not on the Species at Risk list in Ontario as an animal subject to protections under the Endangered Species Act, 2007, S.O. 2007. c. 6.  Yet I had never seen one before, and given their preferred habitat of moorland, marshes near woods, shorelines and mountains, would not expect to see one walking across a driveway in our subdivision.

Nor would I have expected a family of foxes to take up residence in our local soccer pitch, but without the constant rotation of kids’ soccer games and tournaments, the largely vacant field must have seemed like an ideal location for the foxes.  Early mornings they can be seen traversing the field, their red fur shining in the sunlight. While a coyote can often be seen in the nearby woods and there is an army of rabbits running rampant through the streets, I cannot recall foxes ever having established a den in the area.

Throughout Canada, there are stories of animals appearing in unexpected locations.  There have been reported sightings of bears, coyotes and even bobcats in residential neighbourhoods.  This includes a notorious coyote in Riverside South, who met his demise after exhibiting dangerous and aggressive behavior towards residents and their pets.  Fortunately, this type of interaction and result seems to be less frequent.

It must be very strange for animals, who were pushed out of habitats by human activity, to see all of that activity abruptly diminish.  It will be interesting to see how long these animals remain once “normal” activities resume.

In the meantime, I will enjoy the opportunity to sit on my front porch and watch the pair of mallard ducks that have been visiting our neighbours’ front lawn for about an hour every evening for the past several weeks. I am not sure what has drawn them there, but they are beautiful to watch.

This blog post was written by Cheryl Gerhardt McLuckie, a member of the Environmental Law team.  Cheryl can be reached at 613-369-0365 or at cheryl.mcluckie@mannlawyers.com.

More Resources

Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 

Posted November 28, 2023

As a lawyer who has worked in the field of Wills and Estates for the last three years, I get the following question quite a[...]
Blog |
Family Law
By: 
Amongst the profession, we often refer to domestic contracts prepared by the parties themselves without legal advice as “kitchen table agreements”. In May 2023, the[...]
Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 

Posted November 7, 2023

What is a Power of Attorney document? A Power of Attorney is a legal document that authorizes someone else, known as your “attorney” to act[...]
Blog |
Real Estate
By: 

Posted November 6, 2023

If you enter into an Agreement of Purchase and Sale to buy a new build home, your offer could be conditional on having your lawyer[...]
Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 
Do I need a Will? A short answer is most likely. If you possess assets of value, such as chequing or savings accounts, investments, a[...]
Blog |
Real Estate
By: 

Posted October 31, 2023

The Status Certificate is a document written by a condominium corporation that discloses certain financial, governance, and legal information about the condominium corporation and a[...]
Cheryl Gerhardt McLuckie

Cheryl Gerhardt McLuckie

I practice in the areas of environment law and commercial litigation and am an active member of the environmental law group at Mann Lawyers LLP. Prior to joining Mann Lawyers in June of 2020, I practiced with a small law firm in Ottawa.  When the opportunity arose to join Mann Lawyers and become part of its exceptional team, I welcomed it.  Being part of a firm that offers a broad range of services will be of great value to my clients. In my environmental law practice, I assist my clients with all manner of issues arising from environmental contamination.   I have extensive experience in land contamination issues, an area which has undergone significant evolution in recent years.  I provide clients with a wide range of services in environmental law including litigation of environmental claims, defending environmental claims, advising on environmental risk, obligations and liabilities, engaging with the Ministry of the... Read More

Read More About Cheryl Gerhardt McLuckie

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Consent*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.