An Owen Sound resident is doing her part to try and start efforts to rebuild after the euthanization of nearly 100 birds and waterfowl at Harrison Park.
Britany Stevenson started a GoFundMe page after hearing about the birds in the park that were put down by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Thursday, over concerns of avian influenza.
“I was contacted by a few people that were interested in raising money to hopefully replace the birds just in hopes that this isn’t the end of the birds at Harrison Park,” Stevenson says.
The birds of Harrison Park were a popular attraction to local residents, and helped Stevenson and her family safely get fresh air during the Covid pandemic.
“We went there with our son daily just to get out of the house and go see the birds. He has nicknames for all of the birds, so it’s a conversation we had to have with him last night. He’s only three years old. And he expressed his sadness that they aren’t there anymore. It’s just devastating.”
The online fundraiser aims to “help replace the birds at Harrison Park” and has a $5,000 goal. More than $500 had already been donated within a few hours of launching the fundraiser.
Owen Sound city staff notified the CFIA about health concerns of the bird and waterfowl population in the Harrison Park bird sanctuary last week.
Ducks, geese, peafowl and pheasants were euthanized Thursday by CFIA order. Six swans were quarantined and kept alive at special request of the city because of their historical significance.
Those swans were descendants of the original six swans that were given as a gift in 1912, from King George V to the then-mayor of Owen Sound, Elias Lemon.