Ontario city looks to rein in 'Noah's Ark'

Confederation Line resident Jim Green has been taping his neighbour's crowing roosters at night. He claims they are keeping him up and causing vehicles to swerve when they dart across Confederation Line just east of Modeland Road. The City of Sarnia is taking his neighbours to court over both animal control and planning charges. (BARBARA SIMPSON, The Observer)

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SARNIA -- The city is taking a pair of homeowners to court over allegations that their collection of farm animals is causing headaches for neighbours and drivers in their neighbourhood.

At least 12 different types of animals are being housed illegally on a property, the city's chief building official Alan Shaw confirmed Tuesday. Some of the barnyard bounty includes draft horses, donkeys, chickens, pigs and geese.

Shaw said the land isn't currently zoned correctly for agricultural use, so the homeowners have to go through the city's variance process -- applying for a zoning exemption -- in order to bring animals on site.

"This has sort of steamrolled into them bringing in more and more animals," Shaw said. "It's one of those things that if they got a variance, they would have to declare how many animals, what type of animals, where they were going to house them and that kind of thing."

Neighbour Jim Green says his quiet country life has been turned upside down by the livestock collection.

Green claims he's woken up around 3 a.m. every day by his neighbour's roosters. He actually keeps a tape recorder by his window to tape the crowing.

If Sarnia's provincial offences court rules the animals can be removed, Shaw said the Sarnia & District Humane Society would be involved to help rehome the livestock.