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Friends of the Cawthra Bush & Greater Mississauga Area
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Opening comments - more at end. Oct. 25, 1989 Mississauga News Front page & page 4 Cat house fight loses another round Council confirms its decision to close controversial shelter By John Steward - Staff Reporter The Burnhamthorpe Cat Shelter is rapidly running out of lives. After several hours of debate Monday night and early Tuesday morning, Mississauga city council confirmed its plans to close the shelter and demolish the house leased by Brian and Lois Stevens on the municipally owned Bird property on the Credit River. The recorded vote was 7-2 in favor of re-endorsing the council's action, which was first approved in June. An "exhausted" and upset Lois Stevens said yesterday she plans to stay on the property and fight to save the shelter she has operated for several years to house homeless and wild cats. According to the City notice to vacate the premises, the Stevenses must leave by Oct. 31. But a court challenge is likely to be launched by the couple, who are hoping the public will rally to their support. Stevens said the couple have no plans to leave the property as ordered next week. "We're hoping the citizens of Mississauga will pick this up," Stevens said. A demonstration is being held Saturday at noon at Burnhamthorpe Rd. W. and Kariya Dr. near the entrance to the Square One shopping centre. We want people to know how their council runs," an angry Stevens said. She charged that Mayor Hazel McCallion had "intimidated her council" and had "preplotted and pre-planned" the council session. When the issue was reopened in a 5-4 vote, supporters of the shelter felt they had some hope of reversing the council decision. But Stevens said she "knew it was a trick." Three councillors voted to reopen the issue only so there could be another full discussion on the issue, the fourth such debate at council in the past few months. Eight deputants appealed repeatedly to city councillors to consider the plight of the 40 or so cats that will be left homeless if the shelter, which page 4 was described as a valuable public service, is closed. "Will Mississauga have the reputation of closing shelters and sanctuaries as other municipalities are increasingly recognizing private shelters and working with them to provide better care for domestic and wild animals?" asked Josephine Polk of Action Volunteers for Animals. Ward 6 councillor David Culham once again led the drive to save the shelter. He suggested there has never been a public complaint about the shelter and said senior staff was planning to take no action until "direction came" that a notice of violation should be issued against the shelter. Although he didn't name her, Culham was referring to direction from Mayor Hazel McCallion. The councillor also dismissed the technical arguments that the slope of the house could be unstable, saying much worse erosion problems have gone years before being addressed by the City. Several councillors favoring eviction of the tenants were concerned about liability if the couple is allowed to remain in the home until it is needed as part of a public gardens development in two or three years. Ward 8 councillor Donna Lane, a lawyer, said she "wouldn't mind taking the case" if any injuries occur on the property as a result of the building deficiencies that have been identified. Although the cost of providing emergency repairs is estimated at $8,000, it would cost another $11,000 - $12,000 to bring the home up to the City's minimum property standards. Lane also worried about the message that would be given if council reversed its decision. "Are we saying that if you come back often enough and make enough noise, council will change its mind?" Although he moved to reopen the question and was the only councillor to vote with Culham to provide an extension to the Stevenses, Ward 9 councillor Ted Southorn had some strong criticism of the family's conduct. He said he had put aside the "bias" created by the Stevenses' actions in violating the terms of their lease, putting a small shed up on the property without a building permit, and breaking the animal control bylaw by keeping more that four animals. "Don't say that the Stevenses are heroes because they're not," said Southorn, who was booed for some of his remarks. "They made every mistake in the municipal world." Ward 1 councillor Harold Kennedy, who had supported saving the shelter originally, said he'd changed his mind because he didn't think the answer was to let the shelter continue. "I'm ready to save the cats and let the Stevenses go," he said. McCallion, who spoke only as the discussion wound down after midnight, said she had been intentionally quite to demonstrate that she was not "running" council. She said she hoped columnist Albert Atkins of The Mississauga News would realize council is not "docile" or subservient to her wishes, as he had suggested in his column last week. There were gasps of surprise from the audience when McCallion said she thinks "the cat shelter is almost an avenue for the Stevenses to stay there. I find that very unfortunate." PHOTO (By Rob Beintema); Three photo's (on page 4), of Mississaugans and other Ontarians at the council meeting. Many were wearing "Save our shelter - Save our lives" (with a drawing of a cat on it) cat hats. Other hats had other statements CAPTION; More than 100 supporters [ 1 ] of the Burnhamthorpe Cat Shelter were disappointed Monday night when they failed to persuade city council to reverse it's decision to tear down the City-owned house where Lois Stevens runs her shelter for homeless and wild cats. Animal welfare activists argued that the shelter is a model of it's kind but the majority of councillors were concerned about violations of municipal bylaws, and liability problems because of needed repairs to the home. PLEEASSE SIGN OUR PETITION It will make a difference! Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - [ 1 ] - More like 800. Media not reporting the facts to misled people into thinking there was less community support then was the case. Hazel's good friends in the media at work. ] |
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