{"id":2194,"date":"2019-01-03T00:16:36","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T04:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.halifaxtrails.ca\/blog\/?p=2194"},"modified":"2020-01-15T03:11:57","modified_gmt":"2020-01-15T07:11:57","slug":"halifax-giving-new-meaning-to-a-murder-of-crows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.halifaxtrails.ca\/blog\/halifax-giving-new-meaning-to-a-murder-of-crows\/","title":{"rendered":"Halifax Giving New Meaning To &#8216;A Murder Of Crows&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>Awe-Inspiring Nature<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Possibly my favourite natural phenomenon in Halifax is the daily migration of thousands of crows in the Clayton Park area.\u00a0 Their nightly congregation in the trees surrounding Mount St. Vincent University is something well known to most local residents.\u00a0 I compare it to a couple of awe-inspiring natural events I&#8217;ve witnessed in the past.\u00a0 It&#8217;s similar to seeing row after row of huge &#8220;V&#8221; formation flocks of geese on their yearly migration, navigating the skies like choreographed fighter jets at an air show.\u00a0 Another event that I first witnessed as a child is a similar phenomenon involving\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/valleyfamilyfun.ca\/chimney-swifts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chimney Swifts in the town of Wolfville.<\/a>\u00a0 Anyone who has seen either of these events knows that it is a sight to behold.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Murder Of Crows - Halifax, Nova Scotia\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nfqLZIgQ-OI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>A Pillar Of The Community<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0As an avid hiker and outdoor activity enthusiast, when I see the skies fill with hundreds of crows heading down towards the Bedford Basin, I know it&#8217;s time to head out of the woods before darkness sets in.\u00a0 There is no better measure of remaining daylight.\u00a0 No matter where I am, I love looking up to see this awe inspiring daily ritual.\u00a0 The crow roost at the former Mount St. Vincent property has been a well-known neighborhood phenomenon dating back to <em>at least<\/em> the 1960s.\u00a0 The often noisy and messy lifestyle is both tolerated and celebrated by Mount St. Vincent University students who likely identify with a lifestyle similar to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=o7wdAiq0bk8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">highly intelligent<\/a>, social creatures.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;For the most part, though, Mount Saint Vincent University has embraced its noisy neighbours. The campus lounge is called the Crows Nest, there&#8217;s the Crow &#8216;n&#8217; Go convenience store and earlier this year, the university even retired its mascot, Monty the mountain lion, in favour of a new one: Captain the Crow.&#8221; &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/nova-scotia\/crow-roost-mount-saint-vincent-university-halifax-1.4958216\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via CBC<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>Careless Destruction<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, the crows roosting grounds are now ground zero for a huge development.\u00a0 Destruction (especially cruel in the dead of winter) of the crows roost has begun on the former Mount St. Vincent property where the developer has used the cost-cutting, cookie-cutter approach of clearcutting everything.\u00a0 The unfortunate side-effect is the loss of the crows main roosting habitat, and well-aged forest ecosystem that is home to deer, fox, and countless other inhabitants.\u00a0 Some trees, well over 100 years old, are given no deference nor was there any <em>real<\/em> consideration for the wildlife.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve witnessed more than one extremely dangerous vehicle collision with deer on nearby Dunbrack St.\u00a0 This loss of habitat, with no attempt at remediation, will ensure that danger will only continue to increase (nevermind the malice toward the deer).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The company has said it consulted with professionals in the area about the crows, but Young didn&#8217;t have details on those discussions.&#8221; &#8211; via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/nova-scotia\/crows-roost-mount-saint-vincent-university-seton-ridge-development-halifax-1.4469701?cmp=rss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CBC article<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Unrestrained Development<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 The only guard rails to the &#8216;wild-west&#8217; development approach in Halifax seems to be community objection when light is shined on issues like this.\u00a0 It&#8217;s obvious to anyone who lives in the area that the crows and deer that are prevalent on that land would need to be a huge part of an environmental impact study, with appropriate measures taken as a result.\u00a0 That is, if it was an environmental impact study worth anything more than the paper it was written on.\u00a0 \u00a0A recurring theme in situations like this is the fallback statement that everything is &#8220;in accordance with Municipal and Provincial requirements&#8221; which is to say, our requirements are an obvious farce.\u00a0 I&#8217;m sure that &#8220;requirements&#8221; will be met by dumping &#8220;treated&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ajplusenglish\/videos\/576266609486669\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">toxic waste into the Northumberland Strait<\/a>.\u00a0 Municipal &#8220;requirements&#8221; were also met by the toxic <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flint_water_crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">drinking water in Flint Michigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The art of progress is to preserve order among change, and to preserve change amid order&#8221; &#8211; Alfred North Whitehead.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I am by no means anti-development or anti-progress.\u00a0 I want to see a stadium in Shannon Park, I want to see a vibrant urban core and I want to see Halifax on the same stage as other capitals in North America.\u00a0 I love seeing Halifax evolve and flourish.\u00a0 I also want to see large developments like this one adapt to their surroundings instead of plowing them down just because it&#8217;s the cheapest method.\u00a0 Contributing to our green infrastructure, as Polycorp did with its mutually beneficial <a href=\"http:\/\/www.halifaxtrails.ca\/blog\/major-upgrades-coming-to-long-lake-provincial-park\/\">improvements<\/a> to Long Lake Provincial Park, counts for more than just good publicity.\u00a0 Having at least a modicum of communication with the neighbours and the public during the development proposal would go a long way to avoiding the optics of backroom dealings.\u00a0 During the time this land was on the market, the owners (the Sisters of Charity) sent leaflets to the surrounding neighbourhood to keep them apprised, as the good neighbours and stewards they were.<\/p>\n<h3>An Unbalanced Approach<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I do not think the current short-sighted approach of reckless abandon is good for our future success and leaves the balance of our natural assets in the rubble.\u00a0 Too often, the only requirements for considerate, balanced development come from an outraged public.\u00a0 Benefits to the public beyond the increased tax base are often few and far between.\u00a0 The large developments dump more people into overcrowded schools and overflowing, embarrassingly undermaintained roadways with a sorrowly lacking public transportation system.\u00a0 As developments grow, our public infrastructure is going from bad to worse, despite some of the highest tax rates in the country for the non-developer class.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Let&#8217;s not forget in the very recent past, Halifax almost had massive &#8216;slash and dash&#8217; developments on irreplaceable green space that would have changed the entire character of the city.\u00a0 It wasn&#8217;t until overflowing hallways and meeting rooms full of engaged citizens put the brakes on it.\u00a0 The public was able to voice enough opposition to have it properly debated (and in one case, saved with the help of the Nature Conservancy of Canada).\u00a0 Instead of having what could be North America&#8217;s largest urban wilderness park (the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.halifaxtrails.ca\/blog\/birch-cove-rangers\/\">Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness<\/a>) and one of the most unique natural urban landscapes in the country (the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.halifaxtrails.ca\/purcells-cove-backlands\/\">Purcell&#8217;s Cove Backlands<\/a>), we would have had another sprawling housing development, doing nothing to set Halifax apart.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The development of the former Mount St. Vincent property has followed the past formula where public info on the plans is not well advertised, and seen only by the few who care to dig.\u00a0 Public awareness usually comes too little, too late.\u00a0 City council often plays a passive &#8216;lap dog&#8217; role.\u00a0 They seem to hope the public won&#8217;t do what should be the city council&#8217;s job of proper due diligence.\u00a0 A flippant attitude is often\u00a0the norm, as evidenced by this quote of councillor Russell Walker in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/nova-scotia\/crows-roost-mount-saint-vincent-university-seton-ridge-development-halifax-1.4469701?cmp=rss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this article by Frances Willick of CBC News<\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>Russell Walker, the councillor who represents the area, said he has received two\u00a0emails about the tree-clearing, but not specifically about the crows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>&#8220;Right now, I don&#8217;t have any concerns,&#8221; he said. &#8220;In HRM today, you can cut trees on your own property. And it&#8217;s their property, so they&#8217;re cutting the trees on their property.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>The Voice Of The People<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I expect the number of emails to Councillor Walker and the rest of city council will no doubt turn into a flood, if it hasn&#8217;t already.\u00a0 Public outrage was swift upon seeing the recent clearcutting as evidenced by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shelaghduffett.art\/posts\/10161334846845128\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this Facebook Video Post<\/a> with 60, 000+ views (as of Jan. 3) with an extensive comment thread. (Warning: rightfully emotional language in the video may be offensive to some).\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BsT0V10HUt9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This Instagram post<\/a> shows the extent of the disaster of the first phase of clearcutting (and the small fortune in lumber).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I hope it goes to show that if this situation is &#8220;in accordance with Municipal and Provincial requirements&#8221;, the <em>requirements<\/em> are woefully inadequate and need to be addressed immediately.\u00a0 As some &#8216;experts&#8217; suggest, the animals that aren&#8217;t killed directly will move on from their home of the countless past, and the local &#8216;birdland&#8217; moniker of the neighborhood, may be earned by street names only.\u00a0 The crows <em>may<\/em>\u00a0relocate their roost elsewhere and leave us to tell fanciful stories to our grandchildren of when urban Halifax was host to an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon every evening.\u00a0 Let&#8217;s hope the animals don&#8217;t end up in front of your car or seek mass refuge in your backyard as a result of old-growth clearcutting blessed by our city&#8217;s requirements.\u00a0 But if there&#8217;s one thing I have faith in, it&#8217;s the actions of the citizens of Halifax.\u00a0 Have your voice heard, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.halifax.ca\/city-hall\/districts-councillors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contact your local representative<\/a>\u00a0(or email clerks@halifax.ca) to make sure they are representing their <em>constituents<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Update: <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>January 2020\u00a0Chronicle Herald &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechronicleherald.ca\/news\/local\/crows-come-back-to-msvu-roost-site-despite-clearing-for-development-393675\/?fbclid=IwAR3vblAo-sHyVqTeCfUuT336duaEJB_OOn23i36hmcSMPm36w4FMpA3eWMM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Crows come back to MSVU roost site despite clearing for development<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Related\u00a0Articles:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.halifaxexaminer.ca\/featured\/whats-going-to-happen-to-all-those-crows-when-the-motherhouse-lands-get-developed\/#1.%C2%A0Zinc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What&#8217;s going to happen to all those crows when the motherhouse land gets developed?<\/a>&#8221; by Halifax Examiner.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/nova-scotia\/crows-roost-mount-saint-vincent-university-seton-ridge-development-halifax-1.4469701?cmp=rss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Longtime crow roost threatened by development, residents say.<\/a>&#8221; by CBC News.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/nova-scotia\/crow-roost-mount-saint-vincent-university-halifax-1.4958216\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">For decades, a Halifax neighbourhood has been known for a murder (of crows).&#8221;<\/a>\u00a0by CBC News.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><i class=\"wp-svg-heart-2 heart-2\"><\/i> Like this post? Help <a href=\"http:\/\/www.halifaxtrails.ca\/blog\/support\/\">support my work<\/a> so I can continue creating.<\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Awe-Inspiring Nature \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Possibly my favourite natural phenomenon in Halifax is the daily migration of thousands of crows in the Clayton Park area.\u00a0 Their nightly congregation in the trees surrounding Mount St. Vincent University is something well known to most local residents.\u00a0 I compare it to a couple of awe-inspiring natural events I&#8217;ve witnessed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-full-width.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338,336,344],"tags":[142,237],"class_list":["post-2194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","category-nova-scotia","category-stories","tag-halifax","tag-nature"],"wppr_data":{"cwp_meta_box_check":"No"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Halifax Gives New Meaning To &#039;A Murder Of Crows&#039; 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