THUNDER BAY -- Efforts to reinstate funding for the Chippewa Park Wildlife Exhibit failed at a city council budget meeting on Thursday, setting the stage for the zoo's permanent closure.
Coun. Iain Angus, who also serves as the secretary for Friends of Chippewa, pleaded with council to reverse city administration's recommendation that would close down the exhibit in order to shave a net $83,000 from the 2017 budget.
Angus presented a petition of 583 signatures calling for the exhibit to be saved as he urged his colleagues to wait for the results of a visioning exercise that's still underway.
He believes closing the exhibit will have effects on every element of the park's success.
"It will take away away a major component of the park, which will undermine the viability of the amusement rides and the concession and perhaps the tourist camp because it’s all a package," Angus said, adding the exhibit attracted 50,000 visitors over the last seven years.
Despite last week's deputations to the contrary, administration assured council the exhibit's decommissioning would not result in significant costs. With the exception of an elderly black bear named Fluffy, other zoos are prepared to take most of the other animals at their own expense. City resources would be committed to caring for her on site for the remainder of her life.
Councilors also dashed the Friends of Chippewa's vision of converting the exhibit into a wildlife rescue and conservation centre. Coun. Rebecca Johnson recalled similar exhibits in British Columbia have long been private sector enterprises.
“I don’t feel that’s a business that’s necessary for the city to be in," she said. "It’s time to close the wildlife exhibit at Chippewa and let’s be done with it.”
Mayor Keith Hobbs went a step further, positioning the city as a leader in getting out of the business of exhibiting caged animals under the auspices of education and entertainment. He speculated the evolution from an exhibit to a sanctuary would cost upward of $1 million and doesn't believe the city needs it.
"The world is moving away from animals, putting them on display and utilizing them. It's a big focus, not just in North America but worldwide right now," Hobbs said.
"We live in the north where you can go less than ten minutes out of town and see wildlife. I don't buy that kids need to go to an exhibit to see an animal."
Adding to Angus' woes, council also voted to close the park's rides on low-volume Mondays and Tuesdays in a move that will save $15,060.
The Friends of Chippewa are working toward refurbishing the carousel and are floating the possibility of constructing an outdoor waterslide park. Angus said although Thursday's decision is a blow to the vision of those who are engaged in Chippewa's future, he can see the community rallying around a water park.
"Not a Wet and Wild, not at that level, but something that is fairly substantive that will be an attraction for teenagers and young adults as well as the adventurous adult or senior and we think that will go a long way toward opening the park to large numbers like we used to have."
The decision to close the exhibit would be ratified with the 2017 city budget. As of Thursday's meeting, the budget levy is 3.55 per cent more spending than the 2016 budget or 3.09 when accounting for growth.
