WATCH: Speeding continues to be an issue at Esquimalt Lagoon and geese getting hurt. As Luisa Alvarez tells us, the animals are getting hit by cars as they cross the road but the council may have found a solution.
Everywhere you look at Esquimalt Lagoon, you will see Canada geese. They’ve been a fixture for years but their numbers keep growing. Since they don’t migrate they stay concentrated in the area.
The number of cars have also increased in the area and some residents are noticing the geese are getting hurt by speeding cars.
A longtime resident of Colwood, Laurie Shumanski, says it’s like nothing she’s ever seen.
“A lot of blood just in the middle of the road; the feathers are everywhere. I have lived there for 50 plus years and I have never seen anything like this. Many geese laying dead, either somebody is beating them with a stick or running them over that’s obvious,” says Shumanski.
The speed limit along the lagoon is 40km/h but Coldwood Coun. Jason Nault says it is rarely followed and speeding has been an ongoing issue for years. He added that sadly, the birds who often hang out close to the road are just collateral damage.
“This is a problem every year. A bird sanctuary and a commuter route don’t really mix. They have their young ones out right now. I’m not surprised there have been geese hit every year there are geese and seagulls killed along the lagoon,” said Nault.
But Shumanski says that isn’t an excuse.
“Accidents happen, things happen but these ones have been mutilated. It’s our backyard and we just need people showing more respect for it. I’ve seen people stopping, feeding them, petting them to get pictures which is something you shouldn’t be doing,” said Shumanski.
Nault says council voted to add speed bumps to the area to reduce speeding and Canadian Wild Life Services has been notified about them getting killed by cars and will investigate.
And those who spend time at the lagoon need to do their part as well.
“I would like to encourage people to not feed the geese that is a big problem,” said Nault.
Luisa Alvarez
