'Unsettling trend:' Bird poop is dirtying the water at Ottawa beaches
There’s a foul new factor contributing to no-swim advisories at Ottawa beaches this summer.
You could call it a fowl fouling.
Ottawa Public Health measures the water quality at the city’s five supervised beaches every day during the summer. But lately, as the public health unit advised in its usual cheeky way on Twitter, officials have noticed what they’re calling an “unsettling trend.”
“Birds (i.e. animals with wings that can sometimes fly) are leaving poop at our beaches. The poop, being rather unclean, affects the water quality,” the health united tweeter Friday morning. “This, in turn, is contributing to ‘no swimming’ advisories. Which certainly isn't fun for anyone.”
On Friday, no-swim advisories were in place for Westboro Beach and Petrie Island East Bay. The other three beaches—Britannia, Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island River—had the all-clear.
At Petrie Island East Bay alone, no-swim advisories have been in effect for 10 of the last 14 days. The advisories are issued based on the levels of E.coli in the water.
Ottawa Public Health has two easy suggestions for keeping the water clear of bird feces.
First, they’re asking beachgoers to refrain from feeding the birds.
“This attracts them to the beach, where they will poop. A lot.”
Second, they’re asking people to take garbage with them when they leave.
“Often, after a busy day, the garbage bins are left overflowing. This attracts the birds to the beach.
“It's like Field of Dreams, but with poop. If you leave it, they will come...and they will poop.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.