Sir: Now is the time of year when crows and Canada Geese alike are plentiful in this reason as they come to or pass through Chatham-Kent, either to rest here on their way south, or take up residency in our trees and fields over the winter months.
Chatham-Kent, as a result of the birds, has become something of a tourist destination, when it comes to bird watching, especially in the Rondeau Park area, and I know many of our local residents are avid bird watchers as well as the out-of-town visitors.
With that in mind, I think once the colossus near the intersection of King and Fifth streets in downtown Chatham, once it is completed, could be aptly named “The Bird’s Nest” or “The Pigeon Coop” as I’m sure once all the construction is done on this sight, its roof will become a seasonal home for at least some of our feathered friends that live and pass through downtown Chatham.
There are already T-shirts for sale saying, “I was in Crow Town,” and recently I received a postcard from an out-of-town relative that had a picture of a crow on it which says, “The crow is my spirit animal – Chatham-Kent.”
Instead of being critical of our bird population, in particular the crows, pigeons and Canada Geese, we residents of the city should be milking this newfound tourist attraction for as much as we can get out of it. Tourist dollars brought into our city to view our birds can mean jobs, new business and much-needed dollars to help in making our city hopefully a better place to live and visit for those who come here, just to view our birds, and discover that there is more than birds to offer in Chatham-Kent as a tourist destination.
Frank Doyle
Chatham
