Pictou accused of killing pigeons for royal visit

The Town of Pictous efforts to clean up for next week'sroyal visit have some locals worried theyre killing pigeons.

The towns old post office has been derelict for years and pigeons roost in it. Recently, the windows were mostly boarded up.

Rachelle Gaudet said the situation was bleak. An awful lot of pigeons. Some of them are trapped in the building [and] theres a lot of them hanging around trying to get in, she said.

She learned of the situation while walking past the building. She heard a racket as birds tried to get in or out. Gaudet said a broken window in the front is too small.

Were expecting the royal visit next week and so I would assume they boarded up all the windows so it wasnt an eyesore, she said. Even if they just took a couple [of boards] down from the back so they could get in and out.

Others took to Twitter to raise the alarm.

"In my opinion it was done to perk up the town for the royal visit," said Charlene Steeves. "That's all well and good but you can't do that at the expense of these animals."

Steeves saidthe building was boarded up Friday. The town said it was done Mondayafter complaints from the public.

Joe Hawes, mayor of Pictou, said the flap over the pigeons was misplaced. The town boarded up the windows after vandals smashed the glass. Its a privately owned building, so the town will charge the owner for the work.

They werent trying to kill the pigeons or harm them, he said.

The town crews went in and boarded up the windows and painted them black. They didnt know that there was pigeons inside. They had no idea.

When they figured out the pigeons were having problems, thecrews returned and cut holes in the new plywood to grant avian access.

Well, they can fly out now. Theres holes in there, Hawes said. Theyre not in there shooting them or trapping them. Its really much ado about nothing.

He was asked about reports birds were flying straight into the walls. That I dont know. Birds are pretty intelligent. If theres a hole there to get out, theyll get out."

Thursday morning more holes were added to open access for the birds on all floors.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will spend 24 hours in Nova Scotia next week. They arriveSunday and will visit Pictou Monday.