Waterloo council deciding the fate of Eby Farmstead animal enclosure
Councillors for the City of Waterloo are set to vote on the future of Eby Farmstead 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.
City staff also reported $75,000 in yearly operating costs for the display.
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.
If council decided to keep the Eby Farmstead open, Milne said the enclosures will need a significant upgrade, which would come at a cost.
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