How the peacock became a Manitoba community's mascot

Peacocks can be seen wandering through the streets and gardens in Souris, Man., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

SOURIS, Man. -

Jim Ludlam might be considered a jack-of-all-trades in Souris, Man.

The 85-year-old spends his days maintaining a local church, tending to flower beds in a park and making sure town equipment is gassed up.

But his decades caring for the small community's main attraction has earned him the affectionate nickname "peacock man."

Ludlam and his wife were instrumental in bringing peacocks to the southwestern Manitoba town in 1984. At the time, a pair were introduced to the bird sanctuary at Victoria Park.

"They're very attractive. I always felt that it would be a tourist attraction, and there are people who come far and wide to see these birds," Ludlam said in an interview.

Over the years, the colourful creature has become the de facto town mascot.

Souris mayor Duane Davison looks up at a large metal Peacock structure in Souris, Man., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

A four-metre-high peacock statue made out of stainless steel greets visitors at Victoria Park. Nearby, there are blue and pink benches mimicking the shape of the bird's feathers on full display.

Some front yards are decorated with peacock memorabilia, while local stores carry souvenirs including stickers and peacock-themed wine glasses.

The real birds can be found strutting down the streets in the community of roughly 2,000 people. On one day in late August, two peacocks were spotted weaving in and out of backyards while another perched on top of a home before taking flight.

"It's a unique attraction. I don't think there's anywhere else around Manitoba where you can go and see peacocks," said Mayor Duane Davison.

"There's places you can go and see mosquitoes. There's places you can go and see grasshoppers. But we have peacocks."

The number of the flamboyant birds living in the town has fluctuated over the past 40 years. Currently, there are about 15, with at least two full grown white peacocks in a barn by the local campground.

A white male peacock in a barn in Souris, Man., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

The first batch to arrive stayed at an old barn, said Ludlam. That barn was destroyed in a devastating 2011 flood, freeing the birds to venture further afield into the town.

A new barn was built elsewhere. But by that time, the peacocks were used to having free reign of the streets.

For the winter months, live traps are set up to catch the peacocks so they can be transferred to the new barn, which is heated.

That's if the birds co-operate.

"I'll put them under the steering wheel on my lap and drive down (to the barn)," said Ludlam describing the lengths he will go to capture the peacocks.

In recent years, Ludlam has found some of the birds prefer to stay outside during the colder season.

"They're not as fragile for cold as people think."

Ask any local, and they will have a peacock story to share. Some tell tales of helping Ludlam wrangle the creatures, others share funny anecdotes.

When the town brought in the white peacocks a couple summers back, they had trouble fitting in.

Davison remembers the male hanging out with a bunch of wild turkeys, but he had to be moved because he couldn't mate with any of them.

"He's in the barn now and he's got a couple of girlfriends," Davidson said with a laugh. "It's looking good."

Town council has embraced the peacock phenomenon even when some locals haven't been so keen.

The birds have pecked at shiny cars when presented with their reflection. They have woken up residents too early with their honk-like squawks. They have also been known to feast on bountiful gardens.

"A flower bed is like a salad bar to them," said Davison.

Love them or hate them, the birds continue to leave their mark in the community.

The town's annual summer event is called Peacock Days and includes barrel racing and live music.

A few summers ago, a local pharmacy, Whitfield Drugs, began hosting a peacock calling contest to run at the same time as the annual fair.

"It is funny what it brings out in people. There's a few of them who I would say normally would not in any way, shape or form show up at one of those things, and then they would come," said Monique Perey, who handles marketing for the drugstore.

This year's event brought people from across Manitoba to squawk and caw. One winner paid homage to the town's white peacocks by dressing in all white.

Ludlam's love of the birds may have forged their link to the town, but it's his love of something bigger that has kept it going for so long.

"I like the birds but … I like doing anything that's better for the community."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2024.