What is an advisory committee for? A bird’s-eye view

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Written by Brendon Samuels

Before I tell my story about serving on one of London’s advisory committees, allow me to set the stage with an excerpt from a fantastic local history book published in the year 1900, The Pioneer Period and The London of To-day: 

“The municipal records of the early days remind one very forcibly that “history repeats itself.” The formal minutes of proceedings do not set it down in so many precise words, but it is plain to be seen, reading between the lines, that wire-pulling for trifling advantages was quite as frequent on the part of municipal magnates in early days [of London] as ever since, and the process was quite as well understood. There were the usual motions, amendments, and amendments to the amendments, varied by an occasional ejectment of a councilor from a meeting “for cause,” the councilor retaliating by smashing the windows.”

I like two things about this quote. First, it provides context for something that wise people I’ve met in London over the years tell me: the decisions made by our government tend to fall in line with interests of “municipal magnates”. Second, I too get angry at windows.

I am working on my PhD in biology at Western trying to figure out how to prevent birds from crashing into windows. Collisions with windows on buildings kill over 1 billion birds each year in North America, including many thousands in London. Scientists have warned that birds are in serious trouble. Saving them requires actions from all levels of government. So, I advocate for birds through one of London’s advisory committees. I believe it is within London’s power, moral responsibility and best interests to take actions that will conserve birds as part of our City’s natural heritage.

Bird's Eye View of London in 1872 by E.S. Glover.

Bird's Eye View of London in 1872 by E.S. Glover.

If only there was a “municipal magnate” pulling wires for the birds. On the contrary, London’s plans are carried out by corporations whose visions for development are often incompatible with birds’ basic needs. Converting Forest into City in just a couple hundred years has made it very difficult for birds to live, reproduce and migrate safely in our region. Birds in London are threatened by habitat loss, lack of available food, predation by cats, collisions with windows on buildings, road mortality, and so on. Solutions for these issues can be implemented in London when decision-makers are willing to hear about them from the experts – the folks who understand birds and how to help them.

Last year a colleague at Western’s Advanced Facility for Avian Research informed me that one of London’s advisory committees, the Environmental and Ecological Planning Advisory Committee (EEPAC), was drafting recommendations for a bylaw and guidelines for bird-friendly development to address bird-window collisions and invited me to participate. I was excited for the opportunity to apply my scientific knowledge for public service. Being new to municipal planning, I wondered, “what is an advisory committee for?”

London’s advisory committees are made up of community volunteers who meet with municipal staff to review plans through a lens that is unique to each committee. For instance, EEPAC reviews technical documents – many pertaining to new development – with consideration of environmental and ecological matters like the implications of climate change and biodiversity loss for London’s natural heritage system. At EEPAC meetings, members of the public can bring forward questions or concerns about natural heritage to also be reviewed by the committee. 

Wider view of London in 2020, Google Earth. Yellow box indicates overlap between maps separated by 148 years

Wider view of London in 2020, Google Earth. Yellow box indicates overlap between maps separated by 148 years

I joined EEPAC hoping to make London a bit safer for its feathered residents. Just like I am a bird guy, advisory committees are composed of other specialists: academic experts, representatives from industry and relevant stakeholder groups, and others from the community who are qualified to participate in interdisciplinary discussions about complex topics. It’s worth noting that advisory committees serve at the discretion of the City Council and are voluntary – as in, their members work for free.

Recommendations from EEPAC can directly translate into changes that benefit London’s birds and the environment. Further, because there are subject experts on EEPAC, advice can be given so that the City does not run afoul of Provincial or Federal legislation. For example, I participated in a working group of EEPAC that reviewed the scientific literature on habitat for a bird Species at Risk, the bank swallow, as part of a review of the Byron gravel pit secondary plan. Using information gathered through this process, a fellow committee member and I advocated for the City to protect a massive breeding colony of bank swallows we discovered living in a site under preparation for development. Last year we participated in another EEPAC working group that reviewed London’s Environmental Management Guidelines (2007) – the framework through which London’s natural heritage is designated and protected – in order to provide detailed technical recommendations to a consultant hired by the City to update the guidelines.

The Byron gravel pits in London West, the imperilled home of many protected birds including almost 2,000 bank swallows.

The Byron gravel pits in London West, the imperilled home of many protected birds including almost 2,000 bank swallows.

I was grateful to serve on EEPAC and I miss it very much, but I also feel frustrated that the projects I started working on for London’s birds are incomplete, like the bird-friendly skies program and protecting breeding habitat for bank swallows. I’m not sure if I will ever get a chance to pick this work up again.

On November 6 the City Clerk presented an interim report to the Planning and Environment Committee that proposed sweeping changes to London’s advisory committees. The report included several amendments to the committees’ Terms of Reference to establish “reporting relationships to standing committees based on revised responsibilities”. Advisory committees would “be focused on responsibilities, work and projects that would be provided directly by Municipal Council or the Civic Administration, removing the requirement for Council-approved work plans”, with committees allowed to meet only “as they are required.” In other words, the advisory committees will only work on projects that are passed to them by Council. 

London downtown street


Historically, advisory committees generated new ideas to bring forward to Council, many of which became popular with Londoners and Council itself – like the climate emergency declaration and bird-friendly skies program. By removing the ability of advisory committees to develop their own proposals, the City could restrict and potentially censor the voices of community experts who serve as members. The proposed amendments would redefine the role of expert advisory committee members from advocates to unpaid consulting staff. I question the sustainability of a system predicated on attracting experts, including graduate students like me, who are willing to work for free but without autonomy.

When the City of London declared a state of emergency in March, it suspended all advisory committee meetings. In the 8 to 9 months since, the City has not indicated if or when meetings will be allowed to reconvene, virtually or otherwise. The City’s latest position is that it cannot afford to pay its staff to attend advisory committee meetings anymore. The last time City Council discussed advisory committee meetings was on July 6, when the City Clerk said, “there aren’t any pending items, right now, that are defined with any urgency.” Meanwhile, the climate emergency is still without an action plan, biodiversity is collapsing around us, urban sprawl continues, and London’s “municipal magnates” grip their wires tighter than ever.

From a bird’s eye view, the stakes are clear:  London is facing unprecedented, converging environmental crises that endanger avian and human Londoners alike. While there is still time to avert catastrophe, the City is failing to consult the public about the effects of its planning decisions on the environment. The services that EEPAC provides to London are vital for keeping our government’s management of natural heritage accountable and accessible, informed by evidence and local knowledge, and consistent with best practices recommended by experts. 

Londoners who care about the health of our environment should expect municipal leaders to value science, to listen to community voices, and to facilitate the difficult conversations that need to be had about changes to come.

Please, let London’s advisory committees get back to work.

Brendon Samuels is a member of EEPAC and a resident of Ward 4 in London. Brendon is currently a PhD student in the Department of Biology at Western working out of the Advanced Facility for Avian Research. Brendon’s research is about developing better tools for mitigating the risk of bird-window collisions. He holds a Master of Science in Neuroscience from Western University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Guelph. Brendon volunteers for several non-profit organizations including Nature London and Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada.

Editors note:

Recently we released a statement about our concerns with the current review of the City of London Advisory Committees (ACs.). Advisory Committees are an important component of citizen engagement that provides valuable ways for residents to engage with the City of London and bolster transparency and accountability to City and Council decisions.  

We hope you enjoy this series, but more importantly, we hope it inspires action from you in a couple of ways:

  1.  Email all your City Councillors and the Mayor in support of Advisory Committees and the valuable work they do. Copy us at info@urbanleague.ca 

  2.  Share the weekly blog posts and your support on Facebook and Twitter, tagging @CityofLdnOnt your City Councillor if possible and @ULLdn

Alex Leonard