Reptilia applies for accreditation for London facility
The debate on whether to offer an exemption to a city by-law in order to accommodate a 30,000 sq. ft. zoo to open in Westmount Mall continues at city hall. However, City of London City councillors have questions about the company and its loss of accreditation at two other facilities.
“If Reptilia cannot even keep its CAZA accreditation, I don't know why we think they are so valuable to have come to London,” asked Ward 6 Coun. Sam Trosow.
CAZA stands for Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, and it is one of three organizations that have been listed for zoo’s to attain accreditation to operate in the city, if the changes are approved by council.
“You know, Reptilia did lose its designation recently. I've been having a little bit of trouble finding background information on why exactly that was. I did find some information, but for me, I would like to see more detail on it,” Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira said during the committee meeting.
This comes as Reptillia has requested an exemption to the city by-law that bans the display of exotic animals.
“We have 25 members across Canada of varying sizes and degrees, and we uphold each other to those set of standards through our accreditation process,” said CAZA CEO and Executive Director, Jim Facette.
According to CAZA, Reptillia had accreditation for two facilities in Vaughn and Whitby, but that designation was lost.
“Reptilia was an accredited member of CAZA, yes. But, it's important to note for you and for your viewers to know that being accredited, we accredit the facility. We do not accredit the company,” Facette said.
As of Thursday, Reptilia London has indicated to CAZA they will begin the lengthy process to seek accreditation.
“There's normally a myriad of documents that you must submit, including photographs, documentation of processes, minutes of committee meetings, and the whole nine yards. This is something that is not taken lightly and normally takes a facility anywhere from two to four, maybe even five months to prepare of that level of documentation,” said Facette.
If granted, accreditation is for a five-year period, with yearly updates, and subject to inspections by a team of experts if complaints arise.
Council will debate the issue in the coming weeks, with the promise of a public participation meeting prior to giving final approval for the exception to the by-law.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late
Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.