On 2024-05-02 19:00, Daniel Buckles wrote (and had a later version published in the Ottawa Citizen):

When I was a teenager, decades ago, I read The Waste Makers by Vance Packard. Published in 1960, two years before Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the book was one of the earliest bestsellers on consumerism. It showed how industry pushes over-consumption and the impact this has on our values and the environment.

The lessons of this book have come home to roost for me over the last few months as my wife and I downsize in preparation for a move from Ottawa to Toronto where our son and his growing family now live. Downsizing—going from a three bedroom house we have lived in for almost thirty years into a small Toronto apartment—is both painful and liberating. A life-time of accumulation, even for a modest consumer such as myself, has taken months to go through, sort, separate and find homes for. My goal has been to re-home as much as possible, and not waste my priceless time on Facebook finding buyers for ten dollar items.
Continue reading “Daniel Buckles on Downsizing” →

On Sunday morning, I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a domestic cat catching, killing and tearing apart a young wild rabbit on the lawn of St. George Catholic School. The City of Ottawa does allow cats to roam, but this cat (pictured above) was not wearing a collar and tag as required.

I appreciate the wildlife in our neighbourhood. Most of it, anyway. I enjoy seeing the wild rabbits munching on grass in my backyard and laugh at the antics of the chipmunks and squirrels. I have seen raccoons and skunks foraging in my yard, too, and even the occasional fox. I have also seen many species of birds in our neighbourhood. All of these play a role in maintaining the health of our local ecosystem and many of them are threatened by domestic cats “hunting”. The bird feeders that many of us have in our yards attract birds and other wildlife, which in turn attract free-roaming cats. I have chased a number of local cats out of my yard many times, including the cat pictured above.

Peter Blancher, a scientist with Environment Canada, estimates that house cats kill 38 to 133 million birds in Canada per year. Ted Chesky of Nature Canada reported a similar number of birds killed by pet cats in Canada. That’s an astounding number!

If you currently have a pet cat that you allow to go outdoors, please consider keeping it inside. There are creative indoor options for indoor cats including a “catio”. If you allow your cat to go outdoors, please equip it with a noise device (like a bell) on its collar. Cats are not easily seen by birds because they blend in well with our natural environment. Equipping your cat with a Birdsbesafe collar (available at several online sources), which is a comfortable but colourful collar, will help birds see the cat and make it more difficult for the cat to ambush birds and other wildlife.

Brian T.

Peter L. wrote on Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:02:18 -0400:

Just saw a large coyote this morning in the Champlain Woods while walking my small dog. Not aggressive but a decent size. Heads up to all residents with small dogs or children.

Thanks
Pete

A message passed on via a neighbour:

After 30 years with Canada Post, the time has come to retire. I’m finishing my career with two years in this friendly neighbourhood, ironically (but by choice) on the same route I walked during the Ice Storm! (1998). Thank you for all your kindness. Merry Christmas.
Neil