A company that wants to open a reptile zoo at Fairview Mall in St. Catharines is back on city council’s agenda for the third time, after backing out twice before amid animal rights groups objections.
The request from Reptilia Inc. to be exempted from the city’s animal control bylaw so it can operate a new tourist attraction at the Geneva Street mall will be the subject of a public meeting Dec. 12.
The city’s bylaw prohibits certain animals from being kept within city limits, including some species proposed to be part of the attraction in the mall’s former IKEA space.
City staff continue to recommend the exemption be approved to allow Reptilia to operate at the mall and offer off-site educational projects, training or authorized special events.
“We hope to make an exemption request and have it succeed,” said Reptilia president Brian Child, who believes there is support in the city for the attraction.
“It’s good for the community. We do the educational programs, we entertain, we teach kids. We go rescue animals. We do appearances. We do all the things that try to make people understand the reptile clan.”
Reptilia operates permanent and mobile zoos in Vaughan and Whitby with snakes, alligators, crocodiles, frogs, turtles, lizards and more. It’s been engaged with St. Catharines economic development and tourism services staff since 2017 with an interest in setting up in the city.
In February 2021, Fairview Mall property owner First Capital Realty announced Reptilia had plans to lease the former IKEA store space at the mall to be an anchor tenant.
The company applied to the city for an exemption to the animal control bylaw and a public meeting was scheduled for Jan. 17, 2022. At the request of Reptilia, the meeting was bumped to Jan. 31.
On Jan. 31, the company withdrew the application. A new letter requesting the exemption was submitted to the city clerk on March 9, but was again withdrawn in April.
The latest request for an exemption was received by the city on Nov. 10. During city council’s first meeting of the term this week, a report was on the agenda for information so a public meeting could be set for Dec. 12.
Child said the first application was withdrawn because animal rights related parties filed objections right before the meeting and the company needed time to review the material for response.
The second was delayed because the executive director of the city’s animal services provider, Niagara Regional Animal Services — it first supported the venture and later objected to it — was not able to attend the meeting and Reptilia felt its questions could not be addressed.
Now, Child said Reptilia’s board decided it is time to go ahead regardless of who shows up.
“We’re not waiting longer and (First Capital Realty) want to get this done,” he said, adding the company has been encouraged by the city’s economic development staff all the way through the process.
“We want to get into St. Catharines.”
The company may be in for a showdown though.
The city had already received more than 5,000 emails and letters on the proposed zoo by Nov. 23 — 4,904 petitions and 133 other correspondence. A staff report from economic development said they came from residents and non-residents who supported or were against the facility, though it didn’t break down how many were on each side.
Animal welfare groups and their members have been vocal about their concerns with the facility, however.
Letters of objection have been received by Niagara Action for Animals, Zoocheck Inc., World Animal Protection, Animal Alliance of Canada, Animal Justice, Born Free USA, Ontario Captive Animal Watch, Canadian Wildlife Federation and International Fund for Animal Welfare Inc.
Major issues raised include concerns for public safety, risk of zoonotic disease, the welfare of the animals, setting precedents in the city and encouraging exotic pet ownership, among others.
Reptilia, which has been in existence for 27 years and is accredited through Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums, said it has never had an animal escape or reptile bite incident. It said more than 75 per cent of its animals have been rescued from situations like escapes, illegal ownership and border smuggling.
“The proof isn’t in the talk,” Child said. “The proof is in the doing.”
