Peanut the burrowing owl was so excited to be at city council that, while his handler was speaking, the bird dropped a nuclear feces payload all over the floor.
The burrowing owl perched on the arm of Lori Johnson, owl co-ordinator for the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre, for most of her presentation on Nov. 18 to council during a special budget meeting for all third-party groups that receive municipal funding.
The bird’s head swivelled regularly on its shoulders, while it fluttered its wings several times before eventually making a deposit on the carpet near the podium, generating chuckles from people in the room.
Third-party funding
These third-party groups want funding from council in 2020:
- Moose Jaw Police Service: Operating funding of $10,129,563 and capital funding of $67,500
- Moose Jaw Public Library: $1,192,223
- Tourism Moose Jaw: $92,976
- Canada Day committee: $2,583
- Festival of Words: $7,867
- Murals of Moose Jaw: $13,300
- Cultural centre: Program funding of $160,569
- Art museum: $137,496
- Moose Jaw Airport Authority: $148,795
- Moose Jaw Humane Society: $22,989
- Wakamow Valley Authority: $329,610
- Moose Jaw and District Seniors: $25,500
- Multicultural council: $2,040
- Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards: $10,000
- Cosmo Senior Citizens Association: $32,658
Giving two hoots
“I have the most wonderful job because I get to work with these amazing little creatures,” Johnson said. “I get to do an outreach program and education program to spread the word on these little guys to future generations and wildlife enthusiasts … from all over.”
There used to be several burrowing owl nesting sites around Moose Jaw, she continued. The birds were listed as an endangered species in 1995, so partnerships were formed to save the birds and their natural habitat. Now, the interpretive centre is fortunate to have several pairs of burrowing owls to augment the organization’s educational programs.
“These guys help us make a vital connection to the community at large,” said Johnson.
The centre is open to the public from May to September and sees about 4,000 to 6,000 people visit during this season. The second outreach program runs from September to April and focuses on going to schools, seniors’ homes and nature groups; about 6,000 to 8,000 people are visited. The organization also takes the birds out of town to teach people in other communities about them.
Another part of the centre’s work is breeding, both for having birds to imprint for educational programs and also to release into the wild.
Having these programs is important since it’s vital to teach youths and residents about the burrowing owls so people know and care about them, Johnson added.
The interpretive centre has nine burrowing owls in its care, three of which — including Peanut — have been hand-raised for educational programs, she told Coun. Crystal Froese. The remaining owls are considered the wild group of animals.
All the owls will spend the rest of their natural lives at the centre as part of the captive population, usually because they were injured in the wild or were part of the breeding program and are now retired, she continued. Over the years, many birds have also come to Moose Jaw from a recovery group in Manitoba.
“Tonight, maybe this hasn’t been stressed enough, but that’s the whole point of us talking about the budgets. It’s not just a line item. We’re here to build a community,” said Mayor Fraser Tolmie.
It’s not all about roads, water pipes, sewer lines or other infrastructure, he continued, it’s also about building a healthy community and showing off the many amenities in Moose Jaw such as YaraCentre and the Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre.
Coun. Chris Warren pointed out there used to be a sign near the Sunningdale area that warned residents about owls there. Johnson replied that that area is historically where pairs of owls nested before that neighbourhood was created. She thought the last sighting of burrowing owls there was 2000; the last sighting of wild burrowing owls within city limit was 2007.
The next special budget meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 27.
