‘STOP FEEDING THE GEESE’
Bold birds invade Southwood Lakes
City hall is exploring a possible bylaw to persuade people to “stop feeding the geese” in response to multiple complaints Coun. Fred Francis has fielded from goosedeluged Southwood Lakes residents.
The proliferation of Canada geese is occurring throughout the region, but some residents whose homes back onto the multiple lakes in the South Windsor subdivision say the numbers — and boldness — of the geese in their backyards have intensified to extreme levels because people are feeding them.
The staff report cites Environment Canada’s recommendation: “Stop feeding the geese.” It says public feeding isn’t necessary and can lead to problems including high concentrations of geese yearround because they won’t leave as long as they’re fed; and a threat to the birds’ health due to an unnatural diet. When the handouts stop and they have to depend on a natural food supply, some or all of them will move on, the ministry says.
“It used to be fine, we had a beautiful view from the backyard — the water, the birds — but now we’ve got thousands of them,” said one resident whose house backs onto Lake Laguna. She asked to not be identified because she doesn’t want to worsen relations with her neighbour, whom she said has big bags of feed she distributes daily to Canada geese. That resident wasn’t home Thursday and couldn’t be contacted.
The problem with feeding is that geese don’t observe property lines and there are no fences between these properties, said the woman. The feeding brings large numbers of geese who spread out onto her lawn, leaving plenty of poop and rendering it out-of-bounds for her kids. They even wander into the front yard, where on one occasion a particularly nasty goose lunged at her father. On Thursday, the yards backing onto the north section of the lake had hundreds of geese.
“I’m concerned about my children because (the geese) can be quite aggressive and vicious,” she said. “We can’t enjoy our backyard anymore.”
Francis said he’s heard from numerous area residents who blame feeding for the increased number of geese populating their yards.
Residents tell him they can’t enjoy their backyard because they have 50 geese back there, because the neighbour is feeding them.
Francis said opinions in the neighbourhood are all over the map.
“You get some people who’ll call and say, ‘I love it, it’s why I moved out here,’ ” he said. “Others say, ‘They’re all over the place, geese are pooping on my sidewalk, my driveway, my lawn and I can’t drive my car because they’re blocking me in the street, they’re coming up to my porch.’ ”
Francis has asked for a report on possible solutions, such as a bylaw prohibiting feeding of wild animals.
A report presented to council Monday described the current bylaws. One requires property owners to maintain their properties free from “rodents, vermin, termites, injurious insects and other pests,” but doesn’t define pests. Another says people are prohibited from feeding waterfowl in a park, but doesn’t address people feeding them on their own properties. Another bylaw requires that people maintain their properties so they’re free from rodents, vermin or other pests and free from conditions that attract them, but again doesn’t define a “pest.”
None of these bylaws specifically address the feeding of geese, Francis said, suggesting a new bylaw could also address people feeding other wildlife like deer and feral cats that cause grief for neighbours.
The association for the 239 townhouses in Southwood Lakes has its own rule prohibiting its residents from feeding waterfowl, but its president Lloyd Crain is concerned about people who actually drive into the subdivision to feed the geese. Feeding causes bigger concentrations of geese that sometimes walk in big groups across roads.
On one occasion, he saw one female driver get rear-ended by another motorist after she stopped her car to let the geese cross the street.
“They come in to visit, which is fine, it’s a beautiful area, but then they stop and feed the animals,” said Crain. “The concern I have is the fact that geese are getting on the roads to the point where people have to stop their cars and the geese won’t move.”
The view out to the pond from backyard decks and patios is idyllic, one of the features that makes these townhouses a hot commodity — particularly for retirees and empty nesters — whenever one comes up for sale. To keep the geese from coming up onto their living areas, some residents use motion detectors that shoot out a spray of water.
“I know some people love the geese, some people hate the geese,” Crain said as he and board secretary Patrick Burke gave a tour of the lakes rimmed with hundreds upon hundreds of geese. They both love living by the water with the geese, while acknowledging some people are frustrated by their rising numbers and boldness.
“But we have a lot of concern about people who don’t live in Southwood Lakes and they bring bags of food and feed the animals,” said Crain.
According to the staff report, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment warns that feeding wild animals may do more harm than good. They can become dependent on “artificial food sources,” lose their natural fear of humans and pets and risk getting hit by vehicles. When they gather in larger concentrations, there is a higher risk of the spread of parasites and disease. And the larger flocks can contribute to the destruction of habitat.
Tejinder Sidhu, whose house backs onto Lake Laguna, said she’s become frustrated trying to keep her lawn nice. The geese eat the grass until it’s gone and when she spreads grass seed they eat that, too.
Paulette McLeary, a resident for 20 years, said that it has only been recently that the emboldened geese have started crossing the road from Wolfe Lake to gobble the grass on her front yard.
“They’re all over our driveway and bird poop’s all over,” she said. “I don’t mind the geese but it’s getting a little bit much.”