Item - 2018.EY29.52

Etobicoke York Community Council:

1.  Requested the District Manager, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Investigation Services, Etobicoke-York District, to report to the May 2, 2018 meeting of the Etobicoke York Community Council on the use of, and any regulations pertaining to, bird cannons in Ward 6, as well as a protocol for reporting the use of bird cannons when the location of the device is not available.

Recently my office has been inundated with complaints about the use of "bird cannons" in ward 6. These devices are placed on the roofs of commercial or industrial buildings and produce a loud cannon-like sound designed to frighten birds and prevent nesting.

As the sound from the cannon travels quite far, it is nearly impossible for a complainant to isolate the location of the noise, which limits my ability to report the issue to the Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) Department for investigation.

To my knowledge, there are no bylaws specifically prohibiting the use of these devices, however, they do produce a noise in excess of existing noise bylaws. Additionally, there are some instances where the city's noise bylaw refers to provincial legislation which require a Certificate of Approval from Ministry of Environment.

I am requesting a report from MLS on any current bylaws, governance, or legislation relating to the use bird cannons; in addition to a protocol for responding to complaints about the use of a bird cannon when the exact location is not available.