GUELPH – Municipalities in Wellington County are permitted up to two “Turtle Crossing” signs on county roads under a new policy approved on Feb. 27.
A recommendation from the roads committee, approved by county council, calls for municipalities to determine the location of any desired signs, which will be installed by county staff with the costs to be covered by fundraising in the local municipality.
The recommendation followed a presentation by the Erin Environment and Sustainability Advisory Committee (EESAC) at the Feb. 11 roads committee meeting.
The EESAC noted in its presentation that all native turtles in Ontario are now designated as “species at risk.”
The group also noted the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada identifies road mortality as the main threat to all turtle populations in rural areas.
In April 2017, the roads committee declined to act on a request from EESAC to install signs on county roads and also considered a request for generic wildlife warning signs in Puslinch.
At the time, EESAC pointed out, the motion was refused partly out of concern that approval would lead to a flood of similar requests for other types of wildlife.
At the Feb. 11 meeting, the committee stressed that only turtle crossing signs were being requested and provided clarification that turtles are “endangered.”
Also, the EESAC request was for a limited number of signs.
“I think all of us have seen the turtle carnage on the roads, if I may put it that way,” noted roads committee chair councillor Andy Lennox.
“Turtles aren’t as fast to cross the road as some of the rest of us and end up paying the price for it.”
Councillor Mary Lloyd pointed out such signs are often targeted by thieves.
“In Centre Wellington there’s several that have been erected and several that have been stolen,” said Lloyd.
“So it’s one of those signs that seems to be a favourite to put in people’s living rooms and it’s a very expensive endeavor to continue to replace them.
“So it’s just a cautionary note that while the signs are very important, and we do want our neighbours to be more respectful of our environment around us when we’re driving, it just seems to be a sign that everybody desires.”
Councillor Doug Breen said, “I think as they become less odd, less unusual I think that will eventually dissipate.”
