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Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012
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Controversial Islamic rally goes ahead this afternoon
Despite warning signs posted at the Mill Pond Park and most ponds throughout Richmond Hill, it’s common to see people feeding bread and other human foods to ducks and geese. This discourages migrating birds from flying south, as food is plentiful in our parks. The town spends $20,000 each year to control the goose population.
BY KIM ZARZOUR
kzarzour@yrmg.com
Jewish groups are expressing disappointment and alarm over a decision yesterday by Ontario’s speaker of the house and sergeantat-arms to permit a controversial Muslim rally at Queen’s Park. International Day of Al-Quds, which bills itself as a protest against Palestinian oppression, but which others call an anti-Zionist hate rally, will go ahead this afternoon on legislative grounds as planned. Last year’s event drew criticism and concern after demonstrators were seen waving Hezbollah flags, carrying pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini and the head of York Region’s Islamic society was videotaped criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama, “this black man in the White House” who can’t say no to “Zionist parasites”. Dave Levac, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, said in a statement Friday that he has spoken with a number of groups and individuals about the demonstration and, because rally organizers have indicated their willingness to conform to guidelines, he will allow the event to proceed. “I have listened carefully to the concerns raised and agree that we all have a duty to promote tolerance and oppose discrimination at every turn,” he said. “However, I also have a responsibility to protect the right of citizens to assemble and exercise freedom of speech on the grounds of the Legislative Assembly. “This demonstration will be monitored very carefully and I will be looking to the organizers See ‘WE DON’T CENSOR’, page 7.
STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN
DON’T FEED THE GEESE: BY ADAM MCLEAN
amclean@yrmg.com
Despite signs asking residents to refrain from feeding Canada geese populations at town parks, it’s common for town parks staff to find entire loaves of bread left by residents. Although feeding the ducks and geese is a common activity for visitors — young and old — to town ponds, the Town of Richmond Hill is discouraging residents from feeding the migrating birds. The bread doesn’t contain any nutri-
Town seeks residents’ help to curb geese population
ents for the geese and regular feeding by residents can cause the birds to alter their migration patterns, said Ann Marie Farrugia, town natural heritage co-ordinator. “They still have the instinct to migrate, but in a way they become too fat, or you can call it lazy. They learn that there’s no need to leave when food is readily available,” said Ms Farrugia. These geese have become “resident geese”, said Ms Farrugia. In order to stem the growth of resident geese, the town has been actively controlling the geese population in town parks
since 2006. Each spring, staff will spray goose eggs with a solution so they won’t hatch. During the summer months, staff partake in goose poop clean-up patrols, as well as “hazing” three times each week. Hazing involves chasing geese off parts of town property and sometimes a dog is used. Ms Farrugia said the town’s efforts have helped lower the population of resident geese in recent years, but help from people See TWO POUNDS, page 9.
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