The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative is please to announce this year’s Chimney Swift Champions! Chimney Swift Champions are recognized for the work they do to protect Chimney Swifts in Manitoba. This can range from preserving habitat to education. Due to COVID-19 restrictions our plaque presentations have been a little different this year (the now ubiquitous “curbside dropoff”) but our appreciation for these individuals is in no way diminished! A big thank you to each of our Champions this year, the work you do is very appreciated!
Our first Champion this year was House of Hesed on Edmonton St in Winnipeg. Moe (Executive Director) and the home residents have been incredibly caring and interested in the Chimney Swifts using their chimney. The chimney was occupied by nesting chimney swifts in 2018 when Moe heard noises coming from their chimney. They partnered with MCSI to repair the chimney in 2019. While there were no breeding swifts using the chimney this year, there did seem to be evidence that swifts had used it as a roost site earlier in the spring.
Our second Champion this year was Guent Salzmann. Guent was the catalyst for setting up the Nature Manitoba Bluebird Fund. This fund has allowed us to repair and clean many chimneys, protecting and preserving critical habitat for breeding and roosting chimney swifts. The Bluebird Fund was also key in the relocation and re-building of an artificial chimney swift tower from the Old Grace Hospital site to Assiniboine Park Zoo, where it became the first artificial tower in Manitoba to successfully host chimney swifts. Guent passed away in November 2020, but his care for nature will live on. For more about Guent’s life and legacy see Nature Manitoba’s January newsletter at https://www.naturemanitoba.ca/news-articles/remembering-guent-salzmann
Our third set of Champions this year are Rhonda and Craig Baxter. Barb hit a jackpot in summer of 2019 when she was approached by Rhonda during an unassuming session monitoring swifts in St Adolphe. Rhonda had approached Barb to ask about the birds in her chimney. Prior to that conversation Barb had thought she had the nesting/ roosting sites in St Adolphe pinned down! In fact, the Baxter’s had nesting swifts with young in her chimney in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, their chimney has a terracotta collar on it, a type of material that we didn’t think that swifts were able to use! Since that fateful meeting Rhonda and Craig have been a delight to work with. Our program was able to offer them a chimney cleaning last year, and Rhonda was able to put off roof work this spring until Barb was able to determine that no Chimney Swifts were using the chimney this year.
Our fourth Champion this year is Roxy Lanes. Roxy Lanes has been a monitoring spot for our volunteers for a number of years, but a twist of fate brought MCSI and the bowling lanes together in a different way in 2020. Ward Christianson, one of our volunteers was out to see a Summer Tanager (rare to see in Winnipeg). It turns out this was right near the home of Roxy Lanes owner Melissa, and they got talking about Chimney Swifts instead! Roxy Lanes is a converted movie theatre – certainly an interesting home for the swifts! We were able to repair the front chimney (where swifts have been observed in the past, including this summer), as well as a chimney on the side of the building that previously had a large hole near the bottom. We have a number of other monitoring sites that have swifts using chimneys less than 15m from each other, so it will be interesting to see if swifts will start to use this second chimney, now that it is suitable habitat again.
Before (left) and after (right) repair to the side chimney at Roxy Lanes. We suspect the large hole would create cold drafts, discouraging Chimney Swift Nesting. Now a cleanout has been installed and the chimney is ready for swifts!
Before (left) and after (right) repairs to the front chimney at Roxy Lanes. This chimney has been home to swifts for several breeding season (looks like the pigeons also approve).
Last but not least, our fifth Champion for this year is Nicole Firlotte. Nicole is a member of our MCSI Steering Committee. Through her work as the Manager of the Biodiversity, Habitat and Endangered Species section for Manitoba Nicole has been instrumental in enforcing protection of swifts and swift habitat through the Manitoba Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act. This has included mitigation at the Old Grace Hospital site, installation of the artificial tower at Assiniboine Park Zoo (part of the aforementioned mitigation), worked with a realty company to uncap a chimney to replace another one being lined, and continues to be critical in mitigation taking place at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre for chimneys used by Chimney Swifts. In addition to all of that Nicole has monitored sites at the Old Grace and Fleetwood Apartments for MCSI for many years.
Nicole Firlotte with her Chimney Swift Champion plaque.
— Amanda Shave
