City of St. John's charges 70-year-old woman for feeding pigeons in her backyard
A Newfoundland woman says her 70-year-old mother is facing a $5,000 fine for feeding pigeons in her backyard in downtown St. John's.
Jessica Rendell said the City of St. John's charged her mother, Susan Rendell, for violating a municipal bylaw forbidding people from feeding wildlife on residential property. She said her mother has been feeding the pigeons in her backyard for more than a decade, putting food out for them on her roof or letting them eat from her hands in her garden.
The City of St. John's wants her mother to stop feeding the birds, but her mother is not sure if she can, she said.
"My mother went through cancer treatments a couple years ago. She has an anxiety disorder, she's an elderly person, and they have been a great comfort for her," Jessica Rendell said in an interview Friday. "There's so much crime and so many other pressing things, what are we doing spending tax dollars prosecuting people feeding the pigeons?"
Court documents show Susan Rendell was charged April 13 for failing to "cease the feeding of wildlife" and "placing food or other attractants out of doors," contrary to a residential property bylaw which prohibits both activities. For the purposes of the bylaw, the City's definition of "wildlife" includes pigeons.
The bylaw also states residents can feed song birds, but only with bird feeders. Homes smaller than 465 square meters can have up to two bird feeders. Another feeder can be added for each additional 465 square meters.
"The feeding of songbirds on the residential property (cannot) attract insects, rodents, gulls, crows, birds of prey, or flocks of pigeons," the law states.
A spokesperson for the City of St. John's said the bylaw came into effect in June 2019. News reports show it was proposed as a way to curb the city's rat population.
Jessica Rendell said her mother lives in a row of connected houses in a densely populated area of the city. Her mother's second-floor study looks out over a low-lying roof which hangs over her yard. Her mother likes to throw out handfuls of birdseed onto the roof and watch the pigeons come to snack, Rendell said.
In the warmer months, she'll sit in her back garden and feed the birds from seed in her hands, she added.
She said she thinks a neighbour may have complained to City Hall. Susan Bonnell, a spokesperson for the municipality, said the City does not comment on the specifics of cases before the courts, "as it may be prejudicial to do so."
There is one other "ongoing prosecution" in relation to the bylaw, Bonnell said in an email.
Rendell said her mother got a letter from municipal officials a few months ago asking her to stop feeding the birds, and she "tried to cut back." But the pigeons have been fed at her mother's place for so long, they came looking for their food, she said.
If feeding the pigeons was making a mess, Rendell said she would understand the action taken against her mother. But there is no mess, nor are there rats, she said.
"I go and sit out in her garden in the summer, I've never seen a rat. She's been there for 30 years, and I think she's maybe seen two rats in 30 years," Rendell said. "If birds were spilling out into any of her neighbour's property, or if they were defecating everywhere ... I would be encouraging her to stop."
Susan Rendell appeared in provincial court on Thursday, according to court dockets. Jessica Rendell said the case was held over and her mother is due back in court on July 20.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.