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Opening
comments: More at the end.
The Mississauga News, smaller version of the same Toronto Star article.
The
Roy
Ivor - the Birdman of Mississauga & Bernice Inman-Emery - the Birdwoman of
Mississauga Web-page.
Mississauga News - Jan. 24-25, 2009, Sat. - pg.# 6 - Torstar
Network
Group eyes sanctuary as new home
Otters are one of the types of animals found at
The Toronto Wildlife Centre in Downsview.
The centre is looking at the possibility of relocating to Mississauga. Torstar
photo
The Toronto Wildlife Centre is eyeing the former Winding Lane Bird Sanctuary in the Credit River Valley as a new place to take care of sick, injured and orphaned animals, as urban sprawl closes in on its present site in Scarborough.
The ideal spot just might be the former Winding Lane sanctuary, made famous by the late ornithologist Roy Ivor.
Centre executive director Nathalie Karvonen confirmed the facility on the edge of Rouge Park near the Toronto Zoo is now too close to housing and a private petting zoo. That wasn't the case when the centre set up there about 10 years ago.
"These are wild animals and very frightened of humans," said Karvonen of why a quieter, more natural setting on a larger site is needed.
About 6,000 birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians in distress are brought in annually. The animals are kept indoors at the Downsview Park intake centre. Once healthy enough for the outdoors, they are taken to the Rouge Park site.
A staff member checked out the Mississauga site yesterday. It will be considered further once City officials have been contacted to determine if the property is available.
Known as the Birdman of Mississauga, Ivor, who died at age 99 in 1979, was internationally acclaimed for his work with birds. He created the sanctuary on several hectares of forested property off Mississauga Rd., near the University ofTor6nto Mississauga campus.
After Ivor's death, Bernice InmanEmery, his helper, inherited one acre of the property and lived there while running the sanctuary. Ill health has prevented her from continuing and the lot is up for sale.
The remaining sanctuary lands were bought by a developer and acquired by the City, which has preserved it as parkland.
It is within a broader area of parkland in the Sawmill Creek valley.
City council recently agreed to submit an offer to buy the Inman-Emery property and hopes to save it from development.
Mississauga Ward 8 Councillor Katie Mahoney is aware of the wildlife centre's interest and has requested a meeting with Mayor Hazel McCallion and staff to discuss whether the City is open to a proposal from the centre. If a request is made, "we have an obligation to take a look at it," Mahoney said.
About 270 species have been taken to the Toronto Wildlife Centre. Most ate birds but there ate also raccoons, rabbits, white-tailed deer, beaver, weasel, coyotes, bats, porcupines, chipmunks, squirrels, opossum, snakes, turtles, toads and frogs. They even looked after a tarantula once.
"Most people don't know about the huge diversity of wildlife that lives in the GTA or passes through during migration," she said.
Toronto Wildlife Centre is a nonprofit, charitable organization and welcomes public offers of land that might be suitable for the centre, Karvonen said. She can be reached at 416-631-0662.
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