Calvin Township is drafting a new by-law to help curb damage from beaver dams. The municipality has had ongoing issues with dams on private property.
Other neighbouring municipalities have similar by-laws, noted Ann Carr, Calvin’s Public Works Superintendent, and “basically the by-law is a mechanism to allow us to control private property flooding and to protect the Municipality’s infrastructure.”
Carr emphasized that the by-law is still in draft.
However, as envisioned, the by-law “will give us a mechanism to enter onto private land” to deal with beavers and their dams before damaging flooding occurs.
See: Beaver dam sparks conflict among Four Mile Lake residents
The by-law would also see the municipality contract as needed, a licensed trapper who could deal with any beavers relentless in their quest for bigger ponds. At one time, trappers would be eager to do this work for free, but with the lower price of pelts, the ambition for trapping beaver is dwindling.
Mayor Richard Gould elaborated. “The price of pelts has dropped to $35 per pelt,” Given the hours needed to harvest those pelts, the work isn’t worth it to many. As such, “We have a beaver population that is exploding.”
“If a large pond lets go,” he added, “that could take out a road.”
The municipality must be protected, but the mayor also emphasized that residents must be protected, and the by-law should give time “for them to act themselves” to fix any beaver issues occurring on their land, before the municipality steps in.
That would be at the resident’s own cost, because “no matter what,” the mayor detailed, “it always falls back to the cost of the resident.” Property owners are responsible for beavers on their land. However, there is not much an owner can do but contact a trapper. As per the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, “a person shall not damage or destroy a beaver dam unless the person holds a license to trap furbearing mammals.”
Council will discuss the by-law again at an upcoming meeting before it is passed into law.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
