Who Cooked Your Goose? Point Park Needs A New Strategy

Jeff Green | Sep 13, 2023

Sydenham’s Point Park was closed to swimming due to E. coli for much of the summer this year, necessitating cancellation of the summer’s swimming lesson programs (a loss of $18,000 in revenue) and drastic revision of day camp programs. The closure has been attributed, at least in part, to the large numbers of geese and seagulls and higher seasonal temperatures which combined to create the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and multiply.

The goose problem persisted, despite the fact that the Township invested a significant amount of operating funds and staff resources to implement many different deterrents. Some, like streamers, visual distractions and ‘away with Geese” beacons were stolen by vandals, disappointing staff and elected officials alike, The use of trained goose-herding dogs from Greenshield Pest Control had some success, and maintenance staff spent hours at the site each morning raking up and disposing of droppings.

Proposals for the summer of 2024 include starting to engage the herding dogs earlier in the season, and working with some of the neighbouring property owners and the Sydenham Lake Association to obtain permits and permission for disturbing nests/eggs around the bay.

Also, a Park Maintenance person could be dedicated to the Point Park for the summer, to be responsible for deterring the geese and seagulls. They can also support other park maintenance tasks such as opening and cleaning the washrooms, solid waste collection operations, grass cutting, litter and debris control, and other tasks as required.

When the matter was discussed at a Council meeting on September 5, Councilor Ray Leonard noted that geese are dangerously aggressive when protecting their nests, so that the job of disturbing nesting geese should not be assigned to a student.

“It’s hard to support the funding for a staff person to spend all summer at the Point,” said Mayor Vandewal, “but the geese have been holding us hostage on such a great public asset.”

The ongoing engagement of a pest control service (herding dogs) and a full-time summer park maintenance position would need to be included in the 2024 budget in order to bring goose strategy 24.0 to fruition.