Harrison Park in Owen Sound is about to feel very different. Nearly 100 birds and waterfowl were euthanized by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) personnel on Thursday after testing positive for bird flu. Six swans were saved. The city made a special request to the CFIA to quarantine the swans in a separate facility with continuous disease monitoring. Harrison Park’s swans are descendants of the original six swans given to then Mayor Elias Lemon by King George V in 1912. “While we have been able to create a safe alternative for Harrison Park’s resident swans, we are deeply saddened to hear of the required euthanasia of the other pet birds in the Park – they have been an important part of the park for many decades. As the Park’s only bird sanctuary facility is open to wild birds, we understand that the CFIA is taking a precautionary approach to prevent further spread of the disease,” says Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy in a prepared statement. City of Owen Sound staff notified the CFIA of concerns about the health of the bird and waterfowl population at the Harrison Park Bird Sanctuary last week. A statement from the city reads: “Following confirmed positive test results of avian influenza (H5N1) on September 19, the CFIA issued a disposal order on September 22. The order applies to all domestic and waterfowl on the site (approximately 95 birds and waterfowl). The CFIA attended the Park on the morning of September 22 and proceeded to euthanize the birds and waterfowl subject to the order, except for the six domestic swans.” Avian influenza (AI) is a disease caused by a virus that mainly infects domestic poultry and wild birds such as geese, ducks and land birds. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is a strain known to kill both wild birds and commercial poultry. It does not easily pass from birds to humans, and the current strain is listed as having a lower than normal problem for spreading to humans. Bayshore Broadcasting News has reached out to the city for more information. More to come…
