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Britannia is the only municipal Ottawa beach with gull wires still installed following a hiatus there in 2022 to test alternative bird-deterring methods.
Janette Niwa, a volunteer with Safe Wings Ottawa, says the city can be dangerous to birds. Its always more about the people, but it would be nice to see some focus on the birds. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA Janette Niwa grew up surrounded by a love for animals.
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Her veterinarian father kept pheasants, peacocks, chickens and geese, while her mother loved watching birds and owls from their backyard.
Combined with family time spent camping in the Canadian wilderness, it was only natural that Niwas love for nature would push her to join Safe Wings Ottawa in 2017.
Its a small thing, she said, but I can make an impact.
Safe Wings Ottawa is a volunteer-led group dedicated to helping birds, which estimates that around 250,000 of them die in the city each year. As a volunteer, Niwa understands how the city can be dangerous to feathered friends from bird-window collisions to fishing line-like wires hanging above waters at Ottawa beaches.
A gull flies above the wires at Britannia Beach on Friday. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA 
Its always more about the people, she said, but it would be nice to see some focus on the birds.
Gull wires are implemented above swimming areas to deter seagulls from congregating and producing feces that pollute the waters. A handful of seagulls get caught in the wires per year, needing rescue from Safe Wings Ottawa volunteers, Niwa says.
The nets are very clear and for people its hard to see. Thats part of the reason it doesnt deter our view, she says. They say, Oh, gulls have great visual acuity. They can see them.
Well, obviously they cant because they do hit it.
Britannia Beach is the only municipal Ottawa beach with gull wires still installed following a hiatus there in 2022 to test alternative bird-deterring methods, Dan Chenier, the citys general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services, wrote in an emailed statement.
Bay Ward Coun. Theresa Kavanagh says birds getting caught in the wires at Britannia Beach is not something happening constantly. & The benefits outweigh the concerns. POSTMEDIA / FILE PHOTO The system is designed to deter gulls that tend to gather on beach areas and contribute to elevated E. Coli levels in designated swimming zones, Chenier wrote.
Gull wires can cause risks to birds who get caught up and tangled in the wires. However, some Britannia Village residents and Bay Ward Coun. Theresa Kavanagh say the gull wires are effective for deterring seagulls from polluting the waters that Ottawans swim in.
Water quality at our beaches has significantly improved in recent years as a result of targeted efforts to manage environmental factors that may have an impact, which includes the gull deterrent system, Chenier wrote. We continue to monitor conditions and explore innovative solutions to ensure safe and enjoyable beach experiences for everyone.
This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Instead of wires at Britannia Beach in 2022, the city added waste containers with lids, signage asking visitors to avoid feeding birds or littering, aerial hazing with drones, ground hazing with sound cannons, coyote decoys, natural bird-repelling materials and shoreline modifications.
While some of these methods have shown success with geese, they have not proven as effective with gulls due to their different flight and landing behaviours, Chenier wrote. The wire system remains the most effective method for deterring gulls.
In 2022, Britannia Beach water quality did not meet Ontario standards for swimming 14 per cent of the time, according to Ottawa Public Health water testing data. In 2023 and 2024, water quality standards were not met 10 per cent of the time and 11 per cent of the time, respectively.
For Niwa, who suggested implementing a material more visible to humans and birds than the wires, the wire system prioritizes humans over wildlife.
Were taking in all of the human considerations human views, what humans like and making sure humans can relax without taking into account the animal aspect, Niwa said. Maybe we could inconvenience ourselves just a teeny bit to help all of us out.
Rachel Buxton, a Carleton University environmental science professor who studies conservation solutions, said she was unfamiliar with the gull wire strategy. But, she added, if the wires were as hard to see and as deadly for birds as windows have proven to be, its the same situation.
People relax at Britannia Beach on July 28, 2025. Jonathan Morris, president of the Britannia Village Community Association, says its true the gull wires are unsafe for birds. Thats a negative about it. Some do get caught, some do get hurt, and some do die & but you have to weigh that against all the people that didnt get sick. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA If these wires are intended to be invisible to humans and birds cant see them, either, then they could be flying into these lines and hurting themselves, Buxton said. Birds are known to get tangled in various wires, nets and stuff like that.
It just seems like a really bad idea in general.
A seagull was caught in a Britannia Beach wire in early July, according to a post and photo on the Friends of Britannia Village Facebook group.
The City of Ottawa recognizes the concerns of entangled birds and takes them seriously, Chenier wrote. Wires are installed as late as possible in the spring and are removed as early as possible in the fall to minimize this risk.
Birds are known to get tangled in various wires, nets and stuff like that. It just seems like a really bad idea in general.
Rachel Buxton, a Carleton University environmental science professor
Birds getting caught in wires is not something happening constantly, and no evidence has been brought forward of any other issues, Kavanagh said. The benefits outweigh the concerns.
In fact, Kavanagh said, community members were very upset when the wires were taken down in 2022. People really, really wanted those wires back.
Jonathan Morris, president of the Britannia Village Community Association, emailed Kavanagh in 2022 and wrote that the removal of gull wires had been a failure.
As someone who walks through Britannia Beach area every day, Morris said, its nice to see friends and families enjoying the sun and the environment. Its a place for them all to get together.
Theyre not particularly attractive, but theyre effective, Morris said of the gull wires. Im not going to get sick & It would also affect my personal enjoyment (of the beach) if I knew that younger kids and others were potentially exposing themselves.
Its absolutely true that the wires are unsafe for birds, he added. Thats a negative about it.
Some do get caught, some do get hurt, and some do die & but you have to weigh that against all the people that didnt get sick.
For Niwa, who says volunteer-led organizations like Safe Wings Ottawa should not be constantly relied upon for bird rescues, bird wires are still not an ideal solution.
Birds are valuable, like moose, beavers and coyotes, she said. Theres got to be better options than the wires.
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