Bald eagles' nest a sign of healthy ecosystem

Discovery of birds a first in recorded history of Toronto

- MANUELA VEGA

A pair of bald eagles sit by their nest in Toronto. The birds have a low tolerance to environmental contaminants, which shows that the ecosystem is healthy enough to support them, said Karen McDonald of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

A pair of bald eagles are nesting in Toronto for the first time in documented history- a sign of hope for the city's environment and for Indigenous communities.

The birds have historically been threatened by hunting and harmful pesticides throughout North America, and until last year, they were listed under Ontario's Endangered Species Act as being of "special concern." Experts say their nesting in Toronto is a sign that protection and restoration efforts are working.

The development is also major news for Indigenous communities who have honoured the bald eagle since time immemorial, said Duke Redbird, an elder with the Urban Indigenous Education Centre who is from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

"For Indigenous people, they represent strength and honour," he said.

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) confirmed the recently discovered nest is the first of its kind in the area, at least as far back as record-keeping goes.