July 4 started off with promise. Now, Loyalist Township would have staff, as would the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). One of them must have either a contact or equipment to help! As it turns out, Loyalist Township is too small to own a Cherry Picker, and contracts out the changing of the light bulbs. Even their Fire Department does not have the ability to get that high. Once again, all good intentions aside, it is the equipment to get safely 50 feet in the air that stymied us.
As for government regulations and dealing with the wild animals, Sue Meech was ready and willing to do whatever she could. As a locally renowned wildlife expert, she has all the permits and in fact, once the MNR contacted us, they gave me her name as a possible help!
Then, while driving to work, I got a phone call from Michael Lea of the Whig-Standard. He was interested in the story, so I arranged to have Dawne meet him at the nest. This interest gave us a great boost in ability to get things accomplished. Companies like Hydro One love good publicity.
Then another great break. The Mayor of Loyalist Township, Bill Lowry got involved. I knew him a little from my dealings with his as the Commanding Officer of the local Air Cadet Squadron. Having spent over 35 year with Hydro one, he also had the contacts to get the help. The pieces were starting to fall in place. By the end of the day, Mayor Lowry had arranged for a Hydro One cherry picker for 1PM on July 5. Three and a half days after she died, we were finally going to be able to get the mother out of the nest!
We updated Michael Lea, contacted CKWS-TV and went to sleep, hoping we were not too late!
At the end of the day, I sent this e-mail to my contacts..
Thank you to all of you who have assisted and provided advice.Tomorrow at 1PM, Mayor Bill Lowry has arranged for a Hydro One Cherry Picker to hoist Sue Meech of the Sandy Pines Wildlife Center. She has agreed to remove the carcass and check on the condition of the 3 chicks.
Truly a team effort.
We will document and provide photo’s on my Picasa site (https://picasaweb.google.com/JeanGuy.pitre/TheAmherstviewOsprey?authuser=0&feat=directlink), and local media have been invited (Whig-Standard, CKWS and others).
We will also keep an eye on them as they move forward and take to the air.
Thank you to all who supported this.
The Pitre Family
on behalf of
The Amherstview Ospreys
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