‘I’ve got a three-year-old grandson, and I’m terrified of what could happen. I don’t want to see someone hurt or killed in front of my house,’ says frustrated resident
What started as the occasional deer crossing has now become a much larger and more dangerous wildlife presence along a rural stretch near Orillia.
For long-time Division Road resident Robin Orser, the change has been impossible to miss.
“We used to see deer all the time,” Orser said. “Now, we’re seeing moose. A mother and her calves have been coming through here for the past few years, and the sightings are getting more frequent. It makes me sick to my stomach to think what could happen if one of them gets hit.”
One of the more recent sightings happened on May 27, around 9 a.m. Orser captured photos from his front window, careful not to startle the animals. One calf cautiously crossed the road, traffic stopping just in time, while the other bolted into a ravine beside his home.
Two young moose calves roam near Division Road, where residents say sightings are becoming more common and more dangerous due to speeding traffic. Supplied photo
“They’re not small animals,” he said. “A deer will damage your car, a moose can kill you.”
Neighbour Marilyn Dobson, who first reached out to OrilliaMatters about the issue, has been sounding the alarm for months, warning that high speeds and frequent wildlife crossings are a dangerous mix.
The stretch of Division Road between Wainman Line and Fairgrounds Road is posted at 60 km/h, but residents say it’s treated more like a racetrack.
“I’ve seen cars doing 100, 120, even 160 km/h,” Orser said. “If you try to drive the speed limit, people pull out and pass you, sometimes right in front of your own driveway.”
He suspects many of the drivers aren’t locals. Since GPS navigation became common, Orser says traffic has increased dramatically, with cottagers from the Greater Toronto Area using the road as a shortcut between Airport Road and Highway 11.
“On long weekends, it’s bumper-to-bumper, trailers, campers, motorcycles. It’s like a mini highway,” he said. “And some of them are out-driving their headlights at night. If a moose stepped onto the road, they’d be done.”
Orser has reached out to both the Township of Severn and the OPP. The township responded by replacing outdated deer crossing signs with moose warnings within two weeks.
“That was great to see,” Orser said. “But the township told me speed enforcement is up to the OPP, and I’ve yet to see much of it here.”
He recalls one radar setup by police a few years ago that led to an impoundment for excessive speeding, but says enforcement has been rare since.
“It’s only a matter of time before this moose goes across the road and somebody gets hurt,” he said. “And with the way people are passing through here, we could have a head-on collision too.”
Orillia OPP Const. Sophie Gwin confirmed the area is on their radar.
“For the month of August, Division Road has been identified as a focused patrol area for the Orillia detachment,” Gwin said. “Focused patrols are areas identified by the detachment based on calls for service and input from community members that help us focus our education and enforcement in a target area.”
She also offered safety reminders for driving on rural roads where wildlife is present.
Continuously scan the road from shoulder to shoulder; if you see wildlife, slow down, stay alert, and pass carefully. Animals may be unpredictable, she cautioned.
Deer are most active at dusk and dawn, so be extra alert during those hours, she said. At night, and when safe to do so, use high beams to illuminate the roadway and look for the glowing eyes of animals.
Watch for yellow wildlife warning signs that indicate areas of increased risk. If an animal jumps out in front of you, brake firmly to slow down safely.
Avoid sudden swerves, which can cause loss of control. If you see one animal, assume there are others nearby.
Orser says his concerns aren’t just about wildlife, they’re about people.
“There are kids around here, new subdivisions going in, more families moving in,” he said. “I’ve got a three-year-old grandson, and I’m terrified of what could happen. I don’t want to see someone hurt or killed in front of my house.”
For now, residents are urging drivers to slow down, obey the 60 km/h limit, and be mindful that a moose, or two, could appear without warning.
“Respect the wildlife, respect the speed limit. Respect the people who live here,” Orser said. “It’s not just a shortcut. It’s our home.”