A new McDonald’s on Rideau Street is paying tribute to its predecessor’s
most
infamous
guest by making a donation to a local raccoon sanctuary.
Holly’s Haven Wildlife Rescue will be the benefactor of the wackier moments in the often sordid past of the previous
Rideau Street McDonald’s
, the site of many late-night disturbances before its closure two years ago.
There, a raccoon
became a sensation
when a video emerged of a brawl at the 24-hour fast-food joint. In the middle of the clip, a man with a cigarette dangling from his lips can be seen at the edge of the frame, where he, inexplicably, pulls a baby raccoon from his zip-up hoodie before quickly stowing the creature away.
i don’t know how to describe this .gif of a mcdonald’s fight on rideau street except to say that at one point, someone pulls out a raccoon pic.twitter.com/auMdeHBwQK
— Alison Mah (@alisonmah) October 3, 2016
Holly’s Haven will be able to expand its ability to care for the city’s wildlife thanks to a donation. It’s a local, non-profit wildlife rescue that rehabilitates and releases wild animals.
Lynne Rowe started the sanctuary about seven years ago and is presently expanding to meet the community’s needs. This year, they welcomed over 270 wild animals, with raccoons at the top of the guest list.
Currently, the shelter is home to 133 raccoons, including injured, orphaned and displaced kits and adults.
“There is a growing need to help wildlife,” said Jamie Hindley, one of the directors of the centre.
She said that with the new housing development in the city, wild animals are being displaced from their homes due to construction.
“That’s when we come in,” she said. “We pick up injured wildlife, anywhere from raccoons, coyotes, foxes, anything that is wild comes our way.”
During the winter months, the rescue also receives calls from people who find animals such as bats, raccoons, and porcupines as they seek shelter from the harsh cold.
For Hindley, the donation means a great deal to her and the rescue. She said that all their resources come from donations and fundraisers they host over the year, and the money raised helps cover expenses like food and veterinary bills.
When a new animal arrives at the rescue, it goes to an isolation unit for two weeks to assess its health and prevent the spread of disease.
The donation will help fund a new isolation unit at Holly’s Haven and additional enclosures to accommodate both small and large animals.
Hindley said the added space is crucial to ensure they don’t have to turn animals away.
“The donation puts us one step closer to opening our isolation unit and helping more animals,” she said.
Rideau Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante was thrilled by the charitable twist to the restaurant’s opening celebrations.
“I was fully prepared to write a long post about my visit to the new McDonald’s Canada at Rideau and Dalhousie, but I completely lost it when I found out they’re celebrating their opening with a donation to a local raccoon rescue. We truly live in the BEST city.”
This new location will offer take-out, delivery and a walk-up window, but it won’t feature any dine-in options.
Dan Maclean, owner of the franchise and other Ottawa locations, said this donation is a tribute to the viral raccoon and was made in the spirit of protecting wildlife.
“Many local residents remember the raccoon, and to this day we still hear people talk about it,” he said. “So, we thought, why not use this ongoing conversation to do some good around it?”
The McDonald’s at Rideau will be holding a fundraiser for Holly’s Haven in January. They will also donate a certain percentage of profits to the rescue and offer volunteer hours with their team to support the rescue.
“I can’t express how excited we are to be back at the Byward Market and serve our community again,” Maclean said.
The location opened Thursday, and will honour the raccoon with a decal nestled into one of its windows.
