We’re nearing the end of Canada goose nesting season – and that has city workers regularly scouring Kitchener’s Victoria Park for geese and eggs.
The park is the one part of Kitchener where a population control program is in place.
Through that program, the city hires a contractor who keeps close watch for nests.
Any eggs that are found are removed from the park and taken to the landfill to be destroyed.
If geese lay new eggs – rather than moving elsewhere or deciding not to nest again – the process repeats itself.
One day will be set aside, typically in late June after nesting season is long over, any geese remaining in the park to be rounded up, taken to an undisclosed location and released.
Josh Shea, Kitchener’s co-ordinator of natural areas, says nesting season is the time of year when the city receives the most complaints about geese in the park.
Typically, he says, that’s because they’re more aggressive during the period when they’re protecting their nests.
“They’re a big bird. They can potentially knock people over,” he said.
Among people using Victoria Park on Monday, there were few complaints about the Canada geese dotting its landscape.
“They’ve never been mean to me. They’ve always been nice,” said Ryan Coulson.
Lori Trimm called the geese “absolutely lovely,” and said that while her and her granddaughter enjoy watching them, they also understand why the city tries to keep the goose population under control.
“I’m sure it’s a little bit stressful for them, to have their eggs removed, but I think overall … the city is doing the right thing,” she said.
In 2015, a total of 180 geese were found in Victoria Park.
The City of Waterloo posts signs warning people not to feed geese, but otherwise takes no action as far as controlling goose populations.
