u/SeveralEquipment1186

Town of Whitby

575 Rossland Road East

Whitby, ON L1N 2M8

905.430.4300

whitby.ca

1

August 10, 2026

Nicole Corrado

Re: Warning re violation of the Town of Whitby Frivolous and Vexatious

Complaint Policy No. MS 430 Regarding Emails Relating to Coyotes

Dear Ms. Corrado

This is a warning is given to you on behalf of the Corporation of the Town of Whitby (the

“Town”), pursuant to the Town’s Policy Number MS 430 Frivolous or Vexatious Complaint

Policy (the “Policy”). A copy of the Policy is attached to this letter.

The Policy defines a Frivolous or Vexatious Complaint as a complaint that is initiated with

the intent to embarrass or annoy the recipient or is part of a “pattern of conduct” as defined

in the Policy. In particular, following repeated emails to staff and councillors between June

23, 2026, and June 29, 2026, you received a response from Kate Novia, Supervisor,

Bylaw and Animal Services, which addressed your concerns. You continued to send

emails and make phone calls regarding recent coyote incidents to the Town to multiple

departments and staff members. On July 8, 2026, you were requested by John Gallen,

Acting Sr. Manager, Enforcement Services & Supervisor, Corporate Security, to not call

or email multiple staff members and departments. This has demonstrated a pattern of

conduct, identified in the Policy, through the making excessive lines of enquiry regarding

the same issue, making the inquiries to multiple staff members and departments, and

refusing to accept the Town’s response to your inquiries.

Your initial emails were responded to by Ms. Novia on June 29, 2026. Mr. Gallen further

requested, on July 8, 2026, that you do not copy multiple Town staff or departments on

your emails, and that you stop calling multiple offices about the issue. Mr. Gallen also

requested that if you had any specific questions, to direct those questions to him directly.

Despite these requests, you have continued to call and email Animal Services and the

Mayor’s office.

You are hereby requested to cease the above frivolous behaviour against Town Staff.

This will be the only warning that the Town will provide regarding this matter. If you

continue to make multiple enquiries of Town Staff as set out in this letter, the Town may

impose further sanctions against you in accordance with the Policy, up to and including a

full, permanent withdrawal of response and investigations to any enquires from you.

Coyotes are a natural part of the urban environment.  But recently, when two children were bitten, there was a lot of concern.  Tragically, the town of Whitby hired a trapper to destroy coyotes.  https://www.change.org/p/for-the-coyotes-killed-in-revenge-advocate-for-humane-coexistence-with-coyotes-in-whitby 

The coyotes who were killed may have possibly been displaying communicative behaviours that were perhaps misunderstood as aggressive, like alligator arching, (arching their back while showing teeth), yarring (making a yarr sound while showing teeth) and shadowing or escorting (walking up to a person or dog and following them until they leave the area).  

The only behaviour reported that seemed unusual was biting humans.  Human bites are almost always related to humans feeding coyotes.  Coyotes rarely carry or spread rabies.

Judging by the time of the year, and by the behavioural description, it is likely the coyotes were protecting a den.  Killing parents orphans pups, but it also increases canids.  Usually, only the parents breed, but if one or both parents are gone, adolescent coyotes will pair off and produce more packs.  https://www.al.org.au/why-killing-dingoes-is-ineffective

Removal will always result in more coyotes.  The remain coyotes will also be traumatized, thus potentially leading to more problematic behaviours, since the mentors have been killed off, and the coyotes have witnessed their family members being killed.  https://connectsci.au/pc/article/23/1/4/37405/Managing-dingoes-on-Fraser-Island-culling-conflict

This even has detrimental effects on neurodevelopment.  https://thefurbearers.com/blog/coyotes-experience-grief-what-it-means-for-conservation/

The methods of killing are often cruel.  Leghold traps and neck snares are used to hold the animals while a hunter shoots them, often in the lungs to reduce blood scent and to preserve brain tissue for autopsy.  

This is often done at night, as to not disturb the public.  While there is no indication as to how the coyotes in Whitby were killed, it is alleged that Whitby Animal Services had no idea that the town hired a trapper.  

It appears that the council and Whitby Animal Services may not have known that the town had hired a trapper.  An article in the Toronto Star suggests that the town has a no kill policy for coyotes and may not have planned to kill the coyotes.  https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/violent-coyote-attacks-leave-whitby-parents-and-pet-owners-on-edge-i-have-never-seen-so-many/article_136b9460-4a95-49c1-bd22-6e35fb1cec4c.html

Fortunately, there are non lethal alternatives to killing coyotes.  

We can haze coyotes. This involves various noisy or busy activities to interrupt problematic coyote behaviours.  Shaking a jar of pebbles, waving a plastic bag, shouting and waving your arms, or opening and closing an umbrella fast distracts and startles the coyote before the behaviour escalates.  

We can remove attractants.  Clean up fruit, garbage, compost, and other food items, and don't feed the coyotes.  

One of the worst attractants are rodenticide baits.  The bait boxes have a delicious smell, and when the rodents eat the bait, their blood thins, slowing them down, and making the poisoned rodents easier for coyotes to eat.  An animal with thin blood is easy for ticks and mites to attack, making them prone to mange.  By using non lethal rodent management, we also help prevent issues with coyotes.  www.rodenticidefree.ca

Time of day and time of year affects coyote human interactions.  Coyotes are most active at dusk, dawn, and night time.  Both bite incidents happened in the evening.  By reducing human activity at these times, and by avoiding wearing earbuds, we can be aware of the coyotes and avoid interactions.  

The time of year when the incidents happened was during natal denning season, from April to mid July.  The pups were likely still in the dens at the time.  Ottawa had a coyote biting a child incident too, but they managed the situation without killing.  https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/coyote-den-in-lalande-conservation-park-decommissioned-park-reopening/

Ottawa closed Lalande Park after a boy was bitten while riding a bike.  The coyotes were hazed, and the park reopened when the coyote pups outgrew the den.  (The den was filled in with soil, grass, and rocks by gardeners once the coyotes left).  These humane no kill methods were developed with the coyote coexistence organization Coyote Watch Canada.  www.coyotewatchcanada.com

If we follow humane coyote coexistence, like the City of Ottawa did, we can peacefully all live together.