A "municipal fashion accessory" -- well, that about sums it up. Thanks, Doug Chadwick, for ces mots justes.

Mute swans are not native to Canada, although Wikipedia tells me that they have been introduced to North America and live in the wild in substantial numbers. Ontario cannot be particularly swan-friendly; our winters last a long, long time, even now. The Stratford swans normally have already hatched their cygnets when they are released in April, so I guess they nest before the snow and riverside ice are gone.

I first saw wild swans in southwestern Germany, on ponds and creeks near the Rhine River. I remember standing in the middle of the road, gobsmacked at the sheer beauty of a swan family alighting in the reeds. Then a farmer towing a honey-wagon honked his horn at me ... Mood broken.