Staff
The Fort Frances Power Corp. was featured in the August issue of “The Distributor,” an Electricity Distributors Association publication, with a story about how it had helped return a fallen bald eagle chick from its nest back in late spring.
The town had called FFPC superintendent Brian Mueller on May 31 to tell him the Ministry of Natural Resources had recovered an injured bald eagle chick, and need a bucket truck to try and return the eaglet to its nest.
The FFPC sent a line crew and 855 Altec double bucket truck to the nest site, which was in a large tree along the river near the Fort Frances Cemetery.
The crew met with MNR management biologist Melissa Mosley, who was fitted into a fall arrest harness and given instructions about how to safely get into the bucket.
Mosley and the eaglet, secured in a covered container, got into the bucket, where FFPC journeyman Todd Wood took them aloft to the tree.
The mother eagle—hovering only metres above the nest—kept a close eye on the proceedings.
The fallen eagle successfully was returned to the nest to join its sibling.
In the article, Mueller said the operation was a good example of community partners working together.
“We understand that to be a good corporate citizen in a smaller community, it’s important to make ourselves available when called upon,” he remarked.
“We have always responded to the best of our ability.”
“We pride ourselves in looking out for the best interests of our customers and our community,” FFPC CEO and president Joerg Ruppenstein echoed yesterday.
“Our crew did a great job in helping out to save the young eagle,” he added.
“I think that this eagle rescue is a good illustration of one of our core beliefs: to lend a helping hand when our help is needed.”
The FFPC, in the past, has responded to reports of wildlife or pets that went up a pole or tree and needed to be rescued.
For example, they were contacted by town animal control officers last year to help recover an exotic bird that had gotten away from its owner. With temperatures expected to dip that evening, there was concern the bird would freeze.
In that instance, a crew was performing live-line pole replacements and transfers and Mueller dispatched them to help the town.
The bird was recovered unharmed.