Councillor Jakubo provided the following explanation of the procedures a trapper hired by the city must follow when discharging a beaver with a firearm following area residents hearing shots fired yesterday evening:

"On May 31st a beaver was shot by a Trapper in Garson in the area of Park View Drive, just off of O'Neill Drive West."
"Over the course of 2 days more and more details are coming into me and City staff, who, for their part honestly have rarely, if ever, heard of a trapper using a gun to discharge a beaver. However, last night, around 7:25pm 3-4 gun shots could be heard and in the days prior, a man had stated to residents that he had been contracted by the City to "shoot" the beavers."
"In any case where a Trapper is called in by the City, it is to address a situation where the beaver activity (damming) is causing an imminent risk to City infrastructure (a road would be washed out if the dam broke all at once, which has happened) or the damming is causing water to back up onto a resident's property. In either case, the only way to remove this risk and fulfill the City's obligation to ensure the protection of resident's property is to remove all the beavers from the area."
"The routine procedure is for the trapper to set up traps around the dam, then slightly breach the dam. This causes the beavers to respond by attending the dam and trying to repair it. Traps used are far more humane than previously used traps as any trap used must kill the beaver within 5 seconds. However, in some cases, the beavers are cleaver and do not enter the trap as intended, and get trapped but not killed or they avoid the traps all together."
"In these rare cases, the trapper will have to shoot the beaver, either while caught in the trap, or while the beaver is attending the dam to repair it. In the latter case, the trapper may have to shoot more than once if the beaver is being very evasive. If the Trapper will have to discharge his/her firearm, they are required to CALL INTO CITY OF GREATER SUDBURY DISPATCH, so that residents that call 3-1-1 after business hours and speak to someone in Public Works (Dispatch) can be re-assured of what is taking place in their neighbourhood".
"This is the case that occurred last night. Only one beaver was removed and the trapper will likely be returning tonight to try and remove more beavers until they stop to work on the dam and move on to another area. The Trapper did call the City’s after hours dispatch centre, such that anyone that called 3-1-1 last night should have received the correct information. However, anyone that called 3-1-1 in the early morning today, may not have received the correct information as it had not yet been transferred from the dispatch centre to daytime 3-1-1 operations."
"Therefore, the instructions given to the Trapper by the City were to remove the beavers from the area. The City would never request that the Trapper specifically discharge a firearm and shoot the beavers, however, Trappers are licensed to do this.
What everyone may not know is that Trappers are licensed by the Province to do what they do. This includes, trapping/killing and removal of animals such as beavers. Trappers are also licensed to utilize a gun to shoot animals if need be. In these instances, the gun is not being fired in the direction of residences or anyone that may be in the surrounding area."
"If anyone has concerns about the abilities that a Trapper has at their disposal, or the fact that they do kill the animals, it is a concern to be raised with the Ontario Ministry or Natural Resources and our Nickel Belt MPP, Frances Gelinas."
"What residents need to know tonight is that the Trapper will likely be back in the area to try and remove more beavers, so I can advise that while children should never be allowed to play near Junction Creek, that they should certainly be staying far clear of the large beaver house and dam behind Park View."
"I will be out in the area tonight to see it for myself and City Staff will be inspecting the situation early tomorrow morning to see what, if any, further work is required with the beavers."
"Updates will be made to this post as more info becomes available."

Source: Source: Mike Jakubo Councillor Ward 7 Facebook Group
Photo: File Image