It’s a whole community that mourns the death of Butters, a wild turkey who, by strolling through the streets of Côte-des-Neiges – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, had become a celebrity and brought a little joy to the residents in this time of pandemic.
Tributes to the Borough’s mascot poured in from fans. Several of them recounted how the mere sight of the bird brought them a moment of comfort in this difficult time.
“Butters has been a great distraction as there is so much chaos and uncertainty in the world,” says Matthew McHugh, a neighborhood resident who spotted the unexpected visitor in his driveway in early January. It gave us an entertaining and different topic of conversation as many of us were stuck at home staring out. ”
The 20-pound wild turkey had garnered a lot of attention since the holiday season when it was first sighted by residents near Loyola Park.
The rise to stardom has been meteoric; including generating a page dedicated to its fans on Facebook, which attracted hundreds of subscribers in a few weeks. The page generated countless posts every time Butters made an appearance.
In addition to the Facebook page, an interactive online map traced all the apparitions in the borough. Residents were posting photos and videos of Butters as he visited their backyard or strutted along the avenues.
“Its popularity was probably due to the fact that we were each stuck in our rooms for so long,” says McHugh. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it gave us some excitement and lifted our spirits ”.
Death
Unfortunately, the life of the beloved turkey came to an abrupt end. A post on Butters’ Facebook page reports that police officers tried to lure her to the sidewalk “when all of a sudden she started running down the street where she was hit by a car, in the ‘corner of Westminster Avenue and Côte-Saint-Luc Road ”.
The publication was accompanied by a photo showing the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) taking the carcass of the animal under a metal cover.
“The police officers were very kind and compassionate,” the post read. I jumped out of my vehicle to talk to them and the man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was devastated and in tears ”.
The page was immediately bombarded by fans who wanted to express their dismay.
“Butters was my daily refuge in my life right now. I am very sad to learn of his death, just as I looked forward to every day for each new publication that informed us of where he was on his journey ”.
“My condolences to the family and friends of Butters.” – Sue Montgomery, borough mayor
“I’d like to take a moment to thank Butters for bringing the community together,” wrote another. We found happiness as part of a common experience and shared it selflessly among us so that we could all get something from his presence. I hope that this spirit of sharing and mutual aid will continue in his name ”.
Even Borough Mayor Sue Montgomery joined in the outpouring of grief, in a Twitter post she offered her condolences “to Butter’s family and friends.”
Once rarer, appearances of wild turkeys have become more common in Montreal in recent years. Authorities in Rosemont – La-Petite-Patrie even had to ask residents to stop contacting the 3-1-1 information line to notify them in such a situation.
–
