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"Who would have thought that in a moment, the voice of just one bird would be sung loud enough to change the world?" For FLAP Canada Executive Director Michael Mesure that moment came almost three decades ago when a Common Yellowthroat he had rescued from a building collision escaped from its sheltering paper bag inside his car, perched on the rear-view mirror and began to sing. Michael continued driving, enchanted by the bird's glorious song. Suddenly, the singing stopped and the yellowthroat collapsed into his lap, dead. Not a day goes by where Michael doesn't reflect on that profound event, and to this day he fights back tears when asked to share the details of his encounter. In retrospect, it was in this moment that the bird/building collision movement began. For it was shortly thereafter that Michael and a team of like-minded volunteers who in the spring of 1993 created FLAP. All FLAP Canada's efforts for the past quarter of a century have been poured into protecting bird species from the life-threatening dangers of our built environment. Despite numerous challenges along the way and many roadblocks yet to pass, FLAP has achieved great successes and, most importantly, cemented this issue in the public consciousness, encouraging every last one of us who inhabit structures enveloped with glass and light to create a built environment that is safe for bird. |
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Our wholehearted thanks go out to all our partners, volunteers, and donors.
Together, we ensure that birds will always sing their hearts out.
SOME OF FLAP CANADA'S 25 YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENTS
1993
1994
- Published our first issue of our newsletter, Touching Down.
- Compiled a training manual for volunteers that would ensure high standards of safety for the birds and volunteers, and has been used as a resource for
dozens of FLAP-like initiatives across North America. - Published our first educational brochure in a most unique way.
1996
2002
- Launched results of our 5-year analysis of the Bird-Friendly Building Program in our report titled The Effects of Light Reduction on Collisions of Migratory Birds.
- After consulting FLAP, bird enthusiasts Robbie Hunsinger and Ken Wysocki began the process that would create the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors.
2003
- Collaborated in the development and launch of the Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve.
- Dr. John Black installed bird radar on the roof of the Royal Bank Plaza which operated for 8 nights. On the 3 nights of heaviest migration, the radar count averaged over 4,000 birds. Happily, the vast majority of those birds made it safely over the towers on the way to their wintering grounds.
2006
2007
- FLAP receives the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Great Grants Award for Exemplary Volunteerism.
- The City of Toronto, in partnership with FLAP and 13 other stakeholders, release the first of its kind Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines - a ground-breaking comprehensive list of strategies to make new and existing buildings less dangerous to migratory birds.
- Thanks to FLAP's persistence, the Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines become part of Toronto's Green Standard.
- After consulting with FLAP in Toronto, bird enthusiast Joanna Eckles returned to her home in Minneapolis and began the process that would create Project BirdSafe in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
2009
- Consulted with the Convenience Group to develop the first commercial-grade bird deterrent window film that met research standards for bird safety.
- Partner with the City of Markham, a collaboration that continues to yield praise-worthy results, starting with the application of window film at 8100 Warden
Avenue (the first government building in Canada to apply a proven bird collision prevention treatment). - Launch our award-winning booklet entitled Common Birds of Toronto which featured 10 species commonly found hitting buildings by FLAP volunteers.
- Reunited with the City of Toronto's working group to host a symposium on Bird Conservation in Urban Areas.
2010
2012
- We continue our collaboration with Feather Friendly Technologies to develop a third-generation, affordable bird-protection film for residential, commercial and government buildings. This leads to the first massive-scale bird deterrent retrofit of a commercial structure.
- First of its kind art exhibit, artist and FLAP volunteer Christine Walker showed her collection of multimedia collages, entitled Fenestration: Bird-Building
Collisions through Painting and Collage, at Toronto City Hall. - FLAP is a key witness in the second precedent-setting trial "Ecojustice v.s. Cadillac Fairview".
- Markham city staff work with FLAP to develop Bird Friendly Guidelines for the City of Markham.
2013
- After two years of intensive work by FLAP and Ecojustice staff, the Ontario Court of Justice ruled that the provincial Environmental Protection Act
and the federal Species at Risk Act apply in cases of bird collisions with buildings. - Collaborate with Environment Canada to share our expertise and bird collision data to estimate the number of birds killed by collisions with building windows.
2014
2015
- The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (OMECC) release their 2014-2015 Progress Report Small Things Matter.
- FLAP Canada, Ecojustice and Ontario Nature reunite to fight the OMECC's decision to exempt commercial structures from the 2013 ruling as stated on page
61 of the above-mentioned report Small Things Matter. As a result, a committee is struck by the OMECC to work with FLAP Canada, Ecojustice and Ontario Nature to explore options that would include commercial structure under the 2013 ruling. - Our Home Safe for Birds campaign is launched in partnership with Environment Canada and Climate Change. Published our unique homeowner brochure.
2017
- Executive Director Michael Mesure travels to Saskatoon to assist Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation and the City of Saskatoon with developing bird-friendly guidelines for their city.
- Launched BirdSafe.ca with financial support from LUSH Cosmetics.
- Executive Director Michael Mesure visits the University of British Columbia (UBC) to conduct a series of risk assessments on UBC buildings for bird/window collision potential.
- We are recognized as one of Canada's top 150 icons in a special issue by Canadian Geographic and The Walrus called The Story of Canada in 150 Objects.
- In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Convention Act, Environment and Climate Change Canada recognizes Executive Director Michael Mesure, as one of Canada's top 100 bird enthusiasts in their publication Taking Birds Under Our Wings For 100 years.
SOME OF OUR MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS