Who you gonna' call? Goose Busters!

MORRISTON ‒ The Goose Busters of Mini Lakes want to deal with its Canada goose problem once and for all. 

In a new report, staff have recommended council permit the Mini Lakes Residents Association, representing the Mini Lakes Condominium Community, a noise exemption to facilitate the use of a gun that uses blanks to scare away geese on the property over the next two years.

Located near several small bodies of water off of Wellington Road 34, this follows an application from the Goose Busters of Mini Lakes requesting a Migratory Bird Damage or Danger Permit to "scare away migratory birds that cause damage to the property." 

Issued by the Canadian Wildlife Service on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the permit would allow the use of a scare firearm between 9. a.m. and 7 p.m. from Jan. 1 to May 31 and Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 until 2026. 

It would also permit the destruction of Canadian geese nests and up to 30 eggs a year. 

While Mini Lakes requested the noise exemption include May and August, the Canadian Wildlife Services typically states that management must cease when flightless birds, including chicks, are present during the birds' breeding and nesting season- typically between mid-April to the end of August. 

However, staff have confirmed the request is in accordance with the permit and other applicable regulations "so long as the birds can safely escape the area while breeding and nesting season occurs." 

Council received and approved the same request in 2021. 

The full report is available here. 

Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.