If you were lucky enough to visit the Canadian Tire garden centre in Stratford last week, you might have seen this:

We live in a community where people respect nature. The nest sat there for weeks. Staff watched over them, but there was no fence, no screen to protect them, just a sign. The public kept a respectful distance.

They have flown now, but maybe they’ve left us a message.

We’ve learned that Canadian Tire is a company where employees have the freedom to think for themselves. I’ll bet there was no call to corporate office to permit this bird to live rent-free in the garden centre. The best organizations are those who support individual initiative.

We’ve also learned that our community shares a collective will to protect and preserve nature. We didn’t need a police order to know what’s best.

It’s time we thought about the positive things in our community. A bird’s nest today, the repeal of Bill 5 tomorrow.