A cull almost eradicated them, but a year later Canada geese returning to Vernon beach

It seemed like a government decision with a 100% success rate, but a year after the Canada geese at Kin and Canoe Beach in Vernon were culled, the birds are back.

While their numbers are a fraction of what the beach and park used to see, close to 50 geese have recently returned.

“They do have instincts to move around, so they are moving around a bit,” Okanagan Valley Goose Management Committee coordinator Kate Hagmeier told iNFOnews.ca.

Hagmeier, who wasn’t involved with the harvesting of the birds in 2025, said while geese nest in the same spot year after year, they do still move around and use the whole lake, so she isn’t surprised there are geese at the beach.

The City of Vernon’s decision to harvest the birds wasn’t taken lightly and came after years of debate and failed attempts.

The Canada geese were introduced to the area in the 1960s and 1970s to support recreational hunting and don’t migrate. Their numbers have been challenging for local ecosystems, and the birds do affect water quality and native wildlife.

The geese, or more precisely the poop that they leave on the beach and in parks, was also a constant annoyance for residents, tourists and politicians alike.

While numerous mitigation measures were put into place, a couple of hundred geese wouldn’t budge from Kin Beach and the surrounding area.

With their feces carpeting the sand and grass, residents complained that what should have been an idyllic spot for a picnic was unusable.

In 2020, a vote at city council to cull the birds narrowly failed, but passed a year later.

However, even with a mandate to kill the birds, a contractor couldn’t be found. 

Residents continued tiptoeing through the excrement until the city agreed to spend $100,000 with the Guardians of Our Salish Estuaries, in collaboration with Okanagan Indian Band, to harvest the birds and use the meat.

The harvest took place in 2025, and the results were quickly noticed.

The feces-infested sand and grass were now 99% clear.

“It is definitely nicer being around here without poop around,” one resident told iNFOnews.ca.

However, the geese have slowly returned.

Two weeks ago, iNFOnews.ca counted roughly 50 geese hanging around one morning. On Aug. 27, about half that number were sitting on the sand near the water.

The City of Vernon said it was awaiting the results of a goose survey that took place in June and was expected to be presented to council in the fall.

“At this time, no decisions have been made regarding future goose harvest activities. The City will review the report and recommendations before determining next steps,” the City said in an emailed statement.

Hagmeier has run the Okanagan’s goose control program for more than 15 years and does a yearly egg addling program, where the eggs are shaken and made infertile. While the program has greatly reduced the number of geese, it hasn’t eradicated them.

She said the harvesting is just one piece of the puzzle in dealing with the 2,000 to 2,500 geese that live around Okanagan Lake.

“You always have to use a bunch of tools to manage a population,” she said. “You keep… with habitat work, you keep with scare programs, you keep adding, you keep monitoring.”

The District of Summerland had recently installed special lights which emit a pulse of light from dusk to dawn at goose eye level, making it difficult for the birds to rest.

Hagmeier said the drought has decreased wetlands and reduced habitat, forcing geese to the lake. They also like to live in a flock for safety.

It’s unclear if more harvesting will take place, but Hagmeier said what was done has been a success.

“Now is not the time to give up, now is the time to double down,” she said.