INNISFAIL - As of May 1, Innisfailians will be one fine clucky locale.
Five households will be home for pet fowl. What a long and troublesome journey these maligned lovable creatures have undergone. But they made it.
With the spring arrival of so many other birds, chickens will have plenty of feathery friends to warmly welcome them.
There are three humans that deserve to take a special bow for accomplishing what was and is the right thing to do.
The pet chicken debate has raged off and on since 2018.
It looked almost certain then the town was ready to approve pet chickens but most members of council just did not have it in them to accept the results of a public survey showing overwhelming support for these critters.
But new councillor Don Harrison brought the issue back last summer when a citizen sent a letter to the town asking for the issue to come back to the table. Harrison was the driving force to get it done. Take a bow Don.
And then administration went to work. CAO Todd Becker handed the file to Vanessa Connors, the town’s legislative executive assistant. She worked mighty hard on the file and ultimately came back with a two-year pilot plan that earned the kudos and approval from all six members of council, not an easy thing to do since four of them turned thumbs down to the 2018 proposal. Take a bow Vanessa.
But mostly it was the enduring spirit of Lisa Reid that kept this initiative alive. Reid, a passionate former pet chicken owner, was heartbroken by the 2018 rejection. She never gave up hope, however, and some day, hopefully by May 1, if she is chosen in the draw, pet fowl will once again be in her backyard. Reid deserves that. Yes, you take a bow too Lisa.
So why is the scribbler going on about all of this being the right thing for the town to do? It's simply because a wrong had been made right, and in my business that is what counts the most.
During a time when the entire world often appears completely mad, with COVID deniers wailing about conspiracy theories non-stop and their anger and frustration continuing over perceived injustices of prolonged pandemic restrictions, righting the wrong offers hope for every real mistake and misfortune. It can be done, if the will is there.
And so it is for the Town of Innisfail. A wrong has been made right. Another bow, please.
Johnnie Bachusky is an editor with The Albertan.
