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A single Canada goose can:
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eat up to 1.4 kg of grass a day
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damage 0.5 square metres of turf every day
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produce more than 0.5 kg of feces every day
Therefore, when a large population of Canada geese inhabit an urban park:
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grass can become damaged by trampling and consumption
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feces pose health concerns to park users
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feces & feather droppings can harm water quality
Our Goose Control Program is operated in Bay Ridges Kinsmen Park, Progress Frenchman’s Bay East Park, Alex Robertson Park and Bruce Hanscombe Park. There are three components:
Using birds of prey and dogs to frighten the geese into leaving the park
We hire an experienced contractor who uses trained birds of prey and dogs to encourage geese to fly to another location. They are trained not to physically touch the Canada geese but rather to frighten them into flight.
Egg oiling
With a permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service, trained contractors search common breeding areas, and place a vegetable-based, biodegradable oil on the eggs within 10 days of them being laid. This prevents the egg from developing and hatching.
Goose round up
Geese in specific areas are rounded up and relocated to an approved host location using a climate-controlled transport trailer. The round ups occur when the geese are molting and cannot fly away. They are also done early in the morning when the temperatures are cooler and there are few people in the park, to reduce stress to the birds. Goslings (baby geese) and their parents are not rounded up. No geese are harmed during this process.
 A round-up requires a permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). The City of Pickering’s round ups are performed by Toronto and Region Conservation. Data from CWS indicates that only about 15% of the relocated birds will return to area. In June 2011, 98 geese from Pickering were rounded up and relocated. Read the round up article in the Pickering News Advertiser.
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