We were very saddened to hear of the passing of long-term MCSI volunteer David Dawson. David volunteered in his home community of La Broquerie from 2010, doing his final monitoring check at the end of June this year.
During his years of volunteering, David monitored the Paroisse Saint Joachim in La Broquerie. For many of those years, he only watched the large chimney on the side of the building. However in 2016, David organised to have the chimney on the rear of the building cleaned (funded by MCSI). He found a bees nest blocking access, removed it, and swifts have been using this spot ever since.
David was also well known for his building prowess – he was keen to build boxes for bats, as well as towers for swifts. Having decided that his two towers would stand better chances being attached to existing buildings, David donated them to other MCSI volunteers. One now stands in a private address in St Vital, and the other is attached to the side of the building at the Carman Elementary School.
His efforts and enthusiasm will be hard to replace.
His obituary can be read at https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-265887/DAWSON_%20DAVID
— Tim Poole, Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative Coordinator
