'Breaks my heart': Residents react to removal of Canada goose nest, destruction of eggs
Residents who live in the Hyde Park Place apartments in north London, Ont. said they are heartbroken after Old Oak Properties removed two geese nests, containing more than half a dozen eggs.
“They used a bang to scare off the geese that were on the nest, and they took away the eggs,” said Nancy Plessis-Belair, a resident in one of the three Old Oak apartments in Hyde Park.
In a statement to CTV News London, Old Oak Properties confirmed that a wildlife removal company was called in last week to “motivate” the adult geese to move away from the nest, by using something called a “bang machine.”
The eggs were destroyed in accordance with the terms of a ‘damage or danger’ permit obtained from Environment and Climate Change Canada, according to Old Oak Properties.
“The property is already overrun with geese, and there are many other nests that were not disturbed. The egg removal from two nests was an attempt to reduce the total number of geese from the area — not to completely eliminate them,” explained Tracy Norman, director of property management at Old Oak Properties.
Plessis-Belair has lived in the apartment for three years, and said the geese return to nest in the same place. She questions why property management was not proactive, ensuring measures that would have prevented the geese from nesting.
“It breaks my heart, I go to sleep at night and I’m just thinking about it, you know. How can someone destroy nature like that? They are so beautiful,” added Plessis-Belair.
Old Oak Property in London, Ont.'s Hyde Park where two geese nests were removed and destroyed in late April 2024. (Reta Ismail/CTV News London)Brendon Samuels, coordinator of Bird Friendly London, said in Canada there is the Migratory Bird Convention Act and there are regulations that apply to any kind of disturbance or harm to migratory birds or their habitat.
It is illegal to disturb a nest of a migratory bird such as Canada geese, especially once there are eggs inside. Samuels said since the property management team obtained the required permit, their actions may have been authorised, but questions the necessity of such measures.
“Proactive strategies are really the key for managing Canada geese and with wildlife in general…looking at where geese have set up in the past, and setting up landscaping and exclusion devices so that the birds are not going to be attracted to come back there,” explained Samuels.
Old Oak Properties said the geese create “a lot of mess” throughout the property, which makes it “difficult and sometimes treacherous for residents to walk the grounds,” and sited problems for dog owners.
Plessis-Belair, along with several other tenants who voiced their concern over the removal of the nest said they enjoyed having them around.
“It’s a joy, we look out for them, I constantly go to check on the mamma,” said Plessis-Belair.
During Plessis-Belair’s interview with CTV News London, the geese returned and began to circle the area under the pergola where one of the nests was removed.
The video was shown to Samuels, and in his opinion he said it “sounds to me like a distress call, that’s what you would hear if you intrude in a breeding birds territory, where it has a nest, and they are reacting to an intruder in their space, and in this case, to the eggs that were destroyed.”
Western University has a dedicated page about geese, where the community can submit a request for assistance with a goose conflict.
To learn more about conflicts with Canada geese you can also visit the Bird Friendly London website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario gave parents more than $1B in cash over 2 years. Here's where the money went
During the pandemic, the Ontario government started to hand out cash to parents to help offset the cost of at-home learning while schools were shuttered.
Ambassador says interactions with Russia 'quite limited' but 'not unfriendly'
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'
One dead, 26 wounded in overnight shooting in Ohio: reports
A shooting on a street in Akron, Ohio, killed one man and wounded 26 other people early Sunday morning, according to reports by local news outlets.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
South Korea vows 'unbearable' retaliation against North Korea over its launch of trash balloons
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks off commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day
Parachutists jumping from Second World War-era planes hurled themselves Sunday into now peaceful Normandy skies where war once raged, heralding a week of ceremonies for the fast-disappearing generation of Allied troops who fought from D-Day beaches 80 years ago.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.