In the four years I have written this bulletin I have resisted the urge to editorialize. However, with this issue I’m going to provide a personal perspective on a topic that is close to many of us; the state of the pigeon fancy in Canada. What got me on this topic was the May 2006 newsletter from the Vernon Pigeon and Poultry Club which reported that all those present at their recent meeting were having thoughts about folding the 40 year old club.

The uncertain future of the Vernon club is the result of a reduced core of active members who due to combination of changed circumstances, age and illness have left the fancy without being replaced by younger members. We all know this problem is not new and is not unique to the Vernon club. In fact, in the not too distant future the Vancouver Poultry & Fancy Pigeon Association could be dealing with the same problem now facing the Vernon club. The demographic of our club includes a similar core of regulars who are not getting any younger and who have their share of health problems. Over my five years with the club several active members have left for a variety of reasons without any new younger replacements coming in to fill their shoes.

So how do we deal with this problem? Conventional wisdom says that “youth is the future of the hobby” and we need more active junior programs. But experience has shown that while pre-teen children of adult fanciers are often involved in the hobby, their interest wanes when competing with the other priorities of later teenage years.

CPFA President John Taupert, in the latest issue of News on the Wing, suggests that “the great number of early retirees that are looking for something new to interest them” would make a good source of new hobbyists. I have to agree with him since that is how I got back into the fancy. But it is difficult to target such a diverse group. The approach taken by our club is self promotion through educational displays at agricultural related events such as the PNE and AgriFair and the establishment of a website to facilitate online searches and contact. While I believe this is the best way to go, the results so far have not been overwhelming. I believe the state of the pigeon fancy in Canada has two root causes - urbanization and the fact that the hobby has no historical significance in our culture.

The current trend towards urbanization involves the population movement from rural to urban centers. By-laws, loft design and neighbours are just some obstacles to raising pigeons in an urban environment and the only contact future generations raised in an urban environment will have with pigeons, will be the birds sitting on statues in city parks.

The pigeon fancy has never been part of our history or culture. Other than a handful, all pigeon breeds originated in other parts of the world outside North America. There is nothing in our traditions that makes the pigeon fancy a popular national pastime. In other parts of the world people don’t give a second thought to a pigeon fanciers attic or backyard loft, it’s just a normal part of life. In Belgium for example, there are 60,000 registered pigeon fanciers, while Canada, with three times the population, has less than 1000 members in our national organization. While the future may look bleak, I recently had a clear indication of the current strength of the fancy. A club member acquired a large loft that had to be dismantled and moved to his property. The word got around and without solicitation, eight club members gave up part of their weekend to help move the loft on what turned out to be two of the warmest days of the year. Certainly local fanciers are doing everything they can to support the hobby. So enjoy your birds now and don’t forget, we have a big show coming up in November.