Fire department red flags bylaw exemption for 'snake guy'

Posted October 22, 2012

Last Monday night, New Tecumseth councillors, sitting in committee, voted unanimously to exempt a Heydon Avenue resident from the Town's Wildlife and Prohibited Animals Bylaw which prohibits "all snakes of the families Pythonidae and Boidae (pythons and boa constrictors).

The exemption would permit Jim LaPorte to keep up to a maximum 25 snakes in his home, where he operates a reptile rescue service, a program he relocated to Alliston after moving from Orillia last May with his wife and two children.

Mr. LaPorte told councillors that he is currently housing 14 snakes, including two Burmese one 14.5 ft and the other 10.5, and that he wasn't aware of the bylaw that prohibits the keeping of them in New Tecumseth.

Councillors deemed his service to be of value, and agreed to the site specific exemption. It was scheduled to be ratified at tonight's council meeting, but "additional information" from New Tecumseth Fire Chief Dan Heydon has delayed that vote at least until Nov. 5 after "health and safety concerns" were identified that need to be addressed.

They are related "to the health and safety of Emergency Responders (Fire / Police / Paramedics) should they be required to attend at this residence," according to the chief.

Asked via email why the concerns weren't highlighted prior to the initial request, mayor Mike MacEachern, noted that "Committee voted to have the recommendation go to Council. Firefighters raised some concerns surrounding health and safety which need to be looked into."

Click here to send a Letter to the Editor.