Waterloo council decides the fate of Eby Farmstead animal enclosure

After very little debate, councillors for the City of Waterloo voted to evict Eby Farmstead from Waterloo Park.

The motion to remove the farmstead was brought forward during Monday's council meeting after a staff report recommended its permanent closure.

The city-owned display opened in 1967, with deer, bears and other wild animals. The farmstead later transitioned to domesticated animals like llamas, donkeys, miniature horses and an alpaca.

While the featured animals have changed, their living conditions have remained the same.

“Most of the infrastructure that’s in place there is the original infrastructure,” explained Robin Milne, the city’s director of parks, forestry and cemeteries, ahead of Monday’s council meeting. “Its 57-years-old. It’s looking tired.”

The animals live in the enclosure 24 hours a day from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, before being moved to a private farm for the winter months.

The staff report cited several areas of concern at the Eby Farmstead: poor living conditions, lack of space for the animals, 24-hour public access and noise from the nearby LRT.

A rough estimate to replace the nearly 60-year-old infrastructure was marked at approximately $5 million. City staff also reported $75,000 in yearly operating costs for the display. 

Finances were just one reason why council voted to end the program. During the presentation regarding the farm animals, one delegate proposed the idea of an off-leash dog park to replace the farm. While the proposal was not approved, it did spark conversation with councillors who seemed to be in favour of adding another dog park within the city.

The site, meanwhile, has drawn public protest over concerns for the animals’ wellbeing.

“This isn’t a new conversation that the city has been having. We’ve been talking about the Eby Farmstead. We have reports dating back to 1992,” Milne said. “Unfortunately, the Eby Farmstead has never been one of the priorities to invest in.”

The staff report also included a public survey by LURA Consulting with 350 participants:

• 55 per cent voted in favour of investing in Eby Farmstead and keeping the animals
• 40 per cent voted to retire the animals and convert the space into something else
• 5 per cent were undecided

Trenny McGinnis has lived in Waterloo for most of her life and brought her kids to see the animals when they were young. Now, she said, it’s time to move on.

“It was really wonderful. However, we know better now about how to care for animals and this probably isn’t the ideal spot for them,” McGinnis told CTV News. 

The city said the animals will be rehomed and the former enclosure space will be revamped during the Waterloo Park Plan update in 2025.