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NEWS GAZETTE
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Wednesday, January 21, 2015
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Moving forward on West Shore recreation front Society board, with several new members, meets tomorrow to begin charting its course Mike Davies News Gazette staff
Mike Davies/News Gazette staff
City of Langford staffer Mike Gordon works to free a crow from a section of nylon netting above a softball backstop at Centennial Park on Monday, after being alerted to the bird’s plight by a neighbour.
Murder of crows blocks crow murder Langford staffers rescue bird caught in backstop netting Mike Davies News Gazette Staff
City of Langford staff, acting on a plea from a nearby resident, came to the rescue of a crow trapped in netting above a fastball backstop at Centennial Park on Monday morning.
“My wife told me there was something going on with a bunch of crows out here,” said Furber Road resident Dan Peterson, staring up at the netting. “When I got out here, they were fighting with an eagle, defending their buddy, I guess.” The eagle was attempting to get at a crow that had become tangled, but his feathered friends were fending the predator off while the crow struggled unsuccessfully to free itself. Langford city staff arrived minutes
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after receiving the call from Peterson, with a bucket truck, some sturdy gloves and a set of clippers, to see if they could free the bird. Mike Gordon went up in the bucket and managed to free the crow, being careful to ensure the bird didn’t fall during the process. The crow was “cut up pretty badly,” he said, so it was taken to the Wild ARC rehabilitation centre in Metchosin to receive medical attention. mdavies@goldstreamgazette.com
More rewarding.
With the next round of budgeting being prepared for presentation to municipal representatives, West Shore Parks and Recreation Society chair Rob Martin is enthusiastic about where the organization is heading. “We have a very functional board right now,” says Martin, a Colwood city councillor who will oversee tomorrow’s (Jan. 22) inaugural 15-member board meeting in the Kinsmen Fieldhouse. “There have been challenges in the past due to differences of opinions in terms of where our vision should be, but right now everyone seems to be on the same page, so we can really make progress.” Some of that progress involves more surfaces for the area’s soccer and rugby teams. “The University (of Victoria) needed the field space that Velox Rugby was using there, so Velox is relocating to our fields and will now call field 1 home, which is great,” he says. As part of that arrangement, West Shore Parks and Rec. is adding an artificial turf on the infield of the velodrome track. “It’s not enough surface to have full, high-level matches on,” Martin says, “but it’ll be great for (youth soccer games) and for a practice area.” The society has also partnered with the Sooke School District, paying to install a second field at the new Royal Bay secondary slated to open this fall. “It’s an excellent arrangement,” Martin says. “During school hours, Royal Bay will have access to both fields, and after school hours, we’ll have access to both fields. When you add it all up, including the new surface in the velodrome, we essentially have an extra two and-a-half surfaces to schedule things on.” PlEASE SEE: Field switches planned, Page A4
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