Coyote concerns in LaSalle lead to packed public meeting

Concerns about coyotes in the Town of LaSalle prompted town officials to hold a public meeting on Tuesday night, in hopes of assuring residents that they don't need to be worried about them.

Kathy Peifer and dozens of other residents packed into the town council chamber to talk about it.

"I hear them along the train tracks between Bouffard and Reaume [roads], fairly frequently this year," she said.

Peifer claims she also saw a coyote climb her fence into a neighbour's compost bin.

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources says while there is an abundance of coyotes, this is actually "typical." Officials from the ministry suggest people call police immediately if they feel they're in danger.

Those who attended the meeting at the LaSalle Civic Centre heard that police have only responded to a half-dozen calls about coyotes in the past decade.

Earlier in the day, Const. Harbinder Gill told CBC News that the last time the police got a call about coyotes was in April, with a reported den.

But when police investigated, they did not find any coyotes or fresh tracks.

At the Tuesday night meeting, residents also heard from a member of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. They were told that while coyotes are in abundance in the area, they are not of concern.

The audience also learned that the ministry does not use relocation programs when dealing with coyotes, as it has found that the animals just end up coming back.

Brenda Andreatta, the town's clerk and director of council services, said the meeting was to be focused on coyotes in urban areas.

"We're hoping that residents will learn from the [Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry] how to interact, how to live, co-exist with the coyotes because they are in the community.How to keep their pets safe and, basically, what the rules are, according to the ministry, about what can be done about coyotes,"she told CBC News ahead of the meeting.