Aggressive hawks terrorizing Transcona street again

WINNIPEG — An unwelcome annual visitor is terrorizing a Transcona street again.

Gale Burridge has been living on Rosseau Avenue for several years and is aware of a family of hawks that swoop down on unsuspecting people every summer.

"Our mailman had been attacked three times, so we had absolutely no mail delivery through the majority of the summer," Burridge said.

This year, the hawks have taken home in an elm tree directly in front of Burridge's house.

"First time that they've actually been living on our street was this last year," she said. "They used to live down at the end of the street, but now there's a nest right in front of my house."

Burridge claims many people have been attacked and injured by the hawks in previous years. Even Burridge's husband was swooped at twice last year.

"You go outside and you're like, 'oh gosh, I got to see where the hawks are,'" Burridge said. "You go out and they just come after you."

She said it's gotten to a point where she is worried about people's safety.

"I have a two-year-old and a six-month-old grandkid and I wouldn't feel safe with them in the backyard unless someone was right beside them," Burridge said.

Residents in the area have complained for several years about the birds but nothing has been done.

Ward Councillor Shawn Nason says the hawks aren't a City of Winnipeg problem.

"Manitoba Conservation is responsible to take care of it. They promised late last fall that they were going to get at it before the hawks came back," he said.

According to Nason, Manitoba Conservation needs to move the birds and get rid of the nests on the street.

"From what I understand, they take over abandoned raven nests and I believe there's three in the area," Nason said.

Nason said in previous years he contacted the city's animal services, who then consulted the city's naturalists, who then called Manitoba Conservation, who then contacted the province's agriculture department since it's wildlife. It’s a chain of communication that Nason calls "convoluted."

"We just need to get this done; it's taking way too long," he said.

Nason said the last he's heard is that Manitoba Conservation has committed to getting a contractor to remove the nests.

Until conservation officers come and remove the nests, Burridge is left dodging her aggressive neighbours.

"I'm all for nature, but it's getting to the point where it's difficult to coincide," she said.

-With files form CTV’s Simon Stones