14 Canadian cities certified as bird-friendly

Photo courtesy of IStock. 

MONTREAL - Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is certifying 14 more Canadian cities as bird-friendly.

Birds are critical to healthy ecosystems, and as cities continue to grow, they need to be protected from threats like stray cats, pesticide use or habitat loss.

Today, 14 new Canadian municipalities getting @NatureCanada's “Bird Friendly City" certification! pic.twitter.com/xp3GQwlLrX

— Steven Guilbeault (@s_guilbeault) December 8, 2022

Guilbeault, who's attending the COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal, says cities share some responsibility to protect and sustain Canada’s declining bird populations.

The program, administered by Nature Canada, recognizes cities that have reduced threats to birds such as free-roaming cats, pesticides and collisions into windows.

The additional 14 brings to 18 the number of cities that have been certified in Canada as bird-friendly.

Those cities also protect habitat and operate civic education programs on birds.

The certified cities are in six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The bird-friendly cities are: Halifax; Toronto, London, Hamilton, Burlington, Peterborough, Barrie, Halton Hills, Windsor and Guelph in Ontario; Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que.; Regina; Strathcona County, Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta; and Vancouver, Saanich and Lions Bay in B.C.