Council has set out to answer the question that's been fluttering in everyone's minds for some time --- what will help control Midland's goose problem?
Some of the suggestions that were thrown around at a recent meeting were around dog teams, signage telling people not to feed the waterfowl, or even a hunting season.
"I've been looking at the challenge of geese in Midland and have been getting quite a lot of education around it," said Coun. Cher Cunningham, who brought up the issue.
"Even before COVID turned the parks over to the wildlife, geese have been growing in population, not just in Midland but throughout Canada. And while the Canada goose continues to be a protected species, it is estimated there are now at least 7 million present in North America. In many parts of Canada, geese exist in large numbers, where 30 years ago they were uncommon."
As the town executes its Parks and Trails Master Plan, she said, it would be of value to identify what can be done to make the waterfront parks and harbour less attractive to Canada geese.
"This goes a bit beyond the 'Please Don't Feed the Birds' signage, although that's very effective if people follow it," said Cunningham. "There are some simple things that can be done and they may even be all we need. If they're not, we still have to follow the appropriate steps and follow the steps and have an official geese management strategic plan proving we've jumped through all these hoops to get to another level. Getting that started now and tracked is a good idea."
She said the town should try various softer strategies before the looking towards stronger measures.
"In the past, council, I understand, had a dog patrol service which was a casual thing employed in Little Lake Park and had some success," said Cunningham, looking at Coun. Jim Downer for verification on the efficiacy of the method.
Downer said dog teams worked.
"For all the years I was on council, we had a dog team there every morning and it worked marvellously and the dogs left town with the owner," he added. "It worked."
Cunningham also talked about other options, such as planting coarser grass, making the waterfront less accessible to goslings and making the water surface less accessible for geese to land.
And then the discussion veered to the harder measures.
"I'm very glad you brought this forward," said Coun. Bill Gordon. "I fully support it. The geese were here long before we were but we need to co-exist just we've let them get to the point where we haven't managed them at all, much like the cormorants."
He quickly clarified his comment.
"I'm not suggesting we go blugeoning things to death, but we need to find some way that won't take years and years for us to reclaim our park land," said Gordon. "I don't want to be heartless and cruel about it. I don't particularly enjoying eating them. I'm not a hunting guy, but I wouldn't cry if we filled a dump truck with geese carcasses once a year and made our parks more livable."
His comment made Deputy Mayor Mike Ross chuckle.
"My father, who was on council a number of years ago, suggested exactly what Coun. Gordon just thought of," he said. "It didn't go over quite well back then and I'm sure it won't go over well these days. But it definitely is a problem."
Staff will bring forward a report at a future meeting for possible inclusion of goose control methods in the upcoming budget.
