CORKERY – The Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre launched its campaign today (May 14) to raise enough money to move the centre to West Carleton.

The Board of the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre is pleased to launch the public phase of its $1.7 M capital campaign to build a new advanced care bird rehabilitation centre for the Ottawa region. The new facility will be located on a more than 17-acre property located at 8520 McArton Rd. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by December 2020.

The new 6,300 square-foot, energy-efficient centre with 3,000 sq. ft. of outdoor aviaries will be better equipped to meet the increasing demands of Ottawa’s wild bird care emergencies and rehabilitation.  It will also house a new education centre to provide informal, engaging and interactive displays where children and the public can learn about birds, their habitats, and environmental stewardship.

“We are excited to launch our campaign and with community support build this much needed new Centre to serve the needs of Ottawa area birds now and well into the future,” said Juliette Marczuk, chair of the board of the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre.

 Supported primarily by donations from individuals, the Wild Bird Care Centre has been operating from the Stoney Conservation Area on Moodie Drive for the past 28 years. Open for bird admissions 365 days a year including holidays, the centre treats thousands of birds annually, including more than 120 different species of birds, many of which are endangered or threatened.  It will remain open for bird admissions throughout the new centre’s construction period. 

“Conservation begins with one simple act of kindness, the saving of one life,” Marczuk said. “Each bird’s life matters and no wild bird in need of care will ever be turned away.”