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Goose poop a pesky problem at Rocky Point Park

A pesky problem is troubling Rocky Point Park this summer: Canadian geese, and a lot of them. And with a lot of geese comes a lot of goose poop on the park's grass, on the walkways and along the shoreline, making the park a minefield for visitors.
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Picnic goers at Rocky Point Park.

A pesky problem is troubling Rocky Point Park this summer: Canadian geese, and a lot of them.

And with a lot of geese comes a lot of goose poop on the park's grass, on the walkways and along the shoreline, making the park a minefield for visitors.

"This is the worst I've seen it in years," Coun. Diana Dilworth said during Tuesday's council meeting, pegging the number of geese she spotted on the weekend at a whopping 350. "All of them take care of nature's 'process' in our park."

It's a nasty business for anyone hoping to lay out a beach blanket on the grass or let their children enjoy space to run around, but it's also a concern for those who recreate — and make their living — on the water.

"There are way more this year," said Jamie Cuthbert of Rocky Point Kayak.

The geese tend to hug the shallow areas of the shoreline, which seems harmless enough until the water is tested for fecal coliform bacteria, prompting the Fraser Health Authority to issue no-swimming advisories.

It's tested across the inlet, at Old Orchard Beach, but Cuthbert uses those readings to determine whether it's safe to send kids out for stand-up paddleboard lessons.

"My concern is, outside my store right now, it's just littered with their droppings," Cuthbert said. "It doesn't gross me out anymore but it does affect us when they're right near the water."
In the past, PoMo has tried an egg addling program, in which goose eggs are shaken to limit the coming year's population, but that has been shelved for several years.

The more recent practice has been installing fencing along the shoreline during early spring. If the geese can't see a nearby water source as a quick escape route, or escort their young, flightless goslings to the water, they're less likely to make a particular grassy area their home.

But the fencing was removed earlier than usual in early May to make way for a CTV Baby Block Party. That window gave the geese all the time they needed to settle in for good at Rocky Point.

"I agree, there are more geese than I've seen in that park for at least 15 years," said Mayor Mike Clay. "The city has a vacuum contraption that cleans it up, maybe that needs to be amped up."

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