Greely, Ont. residents outraged after beaver killed with lethal trap

Greely, Ont. residents are speaking out after lethal beaver traps were rolled out to deal with a dam on Reindeer Drive. CTV’s Katelyn Wilson reports.

A group of residents in Greely are speaking out about the city of Ottawa’s decision to bring in lethal traps to deal with a beaver.

Trappers were at the scene Thursday and appeared to remove a dead beaver from Grey’s Creek.

“It’s just devastating,” said Greely resident, Karine Tremblay. “They got what they wanted, like the city said, they were here to fix the problem, well now your problem is fixed.”

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Ottawa confirmed a beaver was killed.

“At a location in Greely, a beaver dam in a municipal drain caused water to back up into a stormwater management pond, interfering with its operational function. In accordance with provincial legislation, City policy and Council direction, the beaver was removed by lethal trapping,” said Nick Stow, the city’s program manager of natural systems.

However, residents in the area say water levels have been typical for this time of year, even after recent rainfall, and that flooding has not been an issue.

Bill MacNaull, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 17 years, says he and several neighbours had been keeping a close watch on the dam since the fall.

“We just kept an eye on it because we know what the outcome is, if the water rises and areas flood, the beavers would be trapped and killed,” MacNaull said.

MacNaull says a city worker who visited the site last week told him no action was needed.

“A week ago, Friday when he came, the water was flowing fine, he knew there was a little dam over here, but he said ‘we don’t need to do anything,’ and that’s pretty much a quote,” MacNaull said.

But by Monday, residents say traps had been set.

“I think it’s disgusting. There’s no point to that,” said Tremblay. “I think there’s risks because (the traps) are hidden and if there’s other animals, whether its children playing or other animals walking to the creek to get water, they could be trapped in those traps.”

Under Ontario’s Drainage Act, municipalities are required to maintain municipal drains, including managing obstructions like beaver dams that could threaten infrastructure. On average, the city kills 150 beavers a year.

“I think that people live in rural Ottawa because they love nature. We coexist with nature, generally speaking, but I think that we have to be pragmatic as well,” said Osgoode ward Coun. Isabelle Skalski. “There are situations where we have to be realistic about the damage that that can create for city infrastructure.”

Wildlife advocates say Ottawa’s approach is outdated, pointing to other municipalities that use flow devices, which allow the beavers to stay while preventing flooding.

“The City considers mitigation measures where feasible, including the planned installation of non-lethal tools such as flow devices at select sites. However, in situations where these measures are not practical or effective, licensed professionals may be required to remove beavers by lethal trapping in accordance with provincial standards. Relocation is generally not considered viable due to provincial restrictions and the species’ territorial behaviour,” the city said in a statement.

But for residents in the Greely neighbourhood, they say there has to be a better way to co-exist.

“There have been no issues, there’s not a lot more we can do at this stage, other than to make this issue public,” said Greely resident, Roger Shier.

With beaver kits typically born between April and June, residents also worry trapping could leave babies behind.

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