Motion Sees Council Allowing Keeping Hawks And Falcons In Moose Jaw

Falcons and hawks now allowed under restrictions including no flying whatsoever in Moose Jaw

A motion brought forward by a councillor to have the keeping of falcons and hawks allowed with certain conditions in Moose Jaw has been swooped in and succeeded.

At their regular meeting - moved to Tuesday due to the Remembrance Day holiday - Council voted 4 - 3 to remove the keeping of falcons and hawks from the list of restricted animals not allowed in the city.

The wide ranging list of animals not allowed to be kept in the city includes everything from an elephant to a domestic chicken.

In discussing his motion to remove the keeping of hawks and falcons Councillor Kim Robinson pointed to the fact the practice is well regulated, policed and under provincial legislation.

“This motion is of course is just to amend the restricted animals list (contained in Bylaw 5432 - The Keeping Of Animals Bylaw),” Councillor Robinson said.

The issue of keeping hawks and falcons in the city had come up in October when counsel was approached by Moose Jaw resident Brandon Kobelsky.

Kobelsky had requested to keep a hawk within the city limits, so he could better monitor it and participate in his sport of falconry. The hawk would only be where Kobelsky lived, and any hunting would be on private land away from the city.

In October he was turned down.

In asking Council to consider his motion Coincillor Robinson said he had done a lot of research on the issue, and found out that the keeping of hawks and falcons is strictly regulated and controlled by the provincial government.

“They are under both federal and provincial legislation. They have to be banded. The number is recorded with the conservation offices. It’s very restricted even in how they can be outside the cage. They have to be in the weathering station with a tether,” Councillor Robinson said , adding “ it’s very unlikely these birds would get away in a municipal (city) area.”

Due to poor wording of his notice of motion, the motion had to be amended that both the bird as well as the handler were members of organizations that had control over top of how they were kept handled and registered with the authorities.

Councillor Jamey Logan said he was more likely to support the motion if the motion was amended, so that the handler as well as the bird had to be a member of associations, dealing with falconry.

Councillor Logan pointed out that the hawk or a falcon could be a member of an association, dude which number for the same time somehow a different owner or handler would not be a member and that could lead to problems.

Speaking in favour of the motion Mayor Clive Tolley said he had been contacted by a well-known environmentalist, as well as falconer, and from what he learned from that he had changed his mind.

In October the Mayor had voted against granting Kobelsky an exemption from the Bylaws restricted animals list.

“I had a visit two page letter from an environmentalist and falconer who has done this for many, many years and I have changed my mind in terms of the vote that was held previously,” Mayor Tolley said.

“He reassured me there has been many hawks, and falcons kept safely across the province. It’s a situation where handlers go out to the country to work with your birds,” the Mayor said about the reasoning behind changing his support.

Mayor Clive Tolley, Councillors Doug Blanc, Robinson and Logan voted in favour of removing the keeping of hawks and falcons from the restricted list of prohibited animals as long as both are members of the regulatory association.

Councillors Heather Eby, Dawn Luhning and Crystal Froese were opposed.