Woe Canada: Goose eggs at heart of condo balcony controversy in downtown Calgary appear to have been destroyed

A Canada goose (file photo)

A showdown between a Calgary condo owner and her building’s condo board over what to do with a goose’s nest is over.

Late Sunday morning, Calgary condo owner Lisa Maragh told CTV News that some controversial goose eggs on the balcony of her condo had been destroyed.

"I met with a board member the day before they executed the permit,“ Maragh said in an email to CTV News. ”She told me that ‘I would not get my own way.’"

“It is very sad.”

In a YouTube video, Maragh attempted to confirm that the eggs were gone but the nest was covered over with fluff.

However, two geese who have been perched on her balcony were behaving in unusual ways suggesting that the eggs were gone.

In her YouTube video, Maragh wouldn’t go into detail about her conversation with the condo board member apart from saying “it wasn’t very collaborative.”

‘Learning experience’

Earlier this month, CTV News reported on the story of Maragh, who has been living with two geese who have been setting up their nest on her downtown condo balcony every year since 2021.

They first arrived on the ledge of the downtown Calgary condo she owns with her husband on the 15th floor in the spring of 2017, and have returned like clockwork each year to set up their annual nest since 2021.

“It was a learning experience,” Maragh said of the geese’s first arrival. But as a self-proclaimed animal person, Maragh said there’s been lots to love about the polarizing creatures during their stay on her terrace.

“Geese mate for life,” Maragh said from her balcony on Friday, a soon-to-be mother goose relaxing on the ledge behind her. “They care about their goslings. They sit on their eggs for the entire time.”

“I just love that. It speaks about humanity.”

‘Highly protective and aggressive’

Maragh’s condo board didn’t share her sentiments, however.

Earlier this month, the board of Maragh’s condo issued a notice saying they had obtained a federal permit to remove all goose nests from the building, as several large-scale construction projects require contractors to work on the building’s exterior.

“Canada geese are known to become highly protective and aggressive when guarding nests,” a letter from the Liberte EauClaire condo board said.

“Aggressive behaviour at this elevation presents a serious safety risk to workers operating equipment and performing tasks many stories above the ground.”

A lawyer for the condo board said they have had issues in the past with the geese.

“The pair of Canada geese nesting in the common property have been a safety hazard for years for the staff and contractors at Liberte,” said Michael Kwaitkowski, a lawyer representing the Liberte EauClaire condo corporation.

He said “extremely aggressive behaviour” exhibited by geese during their nesting season resulted in the condo board removing the Canada geese nest in 2025 and again in 2026.

“The removal of the Canada Geese nest in 2025 was done by a certificated wildlife expert, with a valid Damage or Danger Permit from the Canadian Wildlife Services,” Kwaitkowski wrote.

“The same will be done in 2026, under permit.”

Friday night, Maragh told CTV News that the condo board hasn’t removed the eggs and nest.

Maragh was told she had until April 17 to move the eggs herself. If she cannot obtain a federal permit to do so — or if construction work must begin before then — the condo board said it will move the eggs themselves.

Maragh said the birds seemed calm, and no one had come to remove the eggs and nest.

She said then that her condo board was not responding to her and that if they wanted to remove them Monday, they need to give her another notice of access.

CTV News has reached out to Michael Kwaitkowski and the condo board for comment.

Treaty 6 support

Maragh received a letter of support she received from Chief Leonard StandingontheRoad, a former Grand Chief of Treaty 6 territory, who asked the condo board to “cease and desist” from removing the nest and eggs.

“I am formally calling upon you to immediately cease this practice, and to find a path forward rooted in compassion, coexistence, and respect for all living creatures,” StandingontheRoad wrote.

“The Canada Goose, known to our people as a messenger of loyalty, devotion, and the changing of seasons, holds deep spiritual significance,” he added. “These birds mate for life, protect their young with fierce dedication, and return year after year to the same sacred ground.

“To destroy their eggs — the very seeds of new life — is not a trivial administrative act. It is a wound inflicted on the web of life that sustains us all."

Nesting sites

Last week, the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) issued a media release addressing the issue of goose nesting season, saying that apartment balconies should be blocked off to prevent geese from using them as a nesting site.

“Shortly after their arrival, geese begin their search for a nesting site, preferably one that is high up and close (but not too close) to a body of water. This unfortunately means that the roofs and balconies of buildings are often selected as nesting sites,” the release said.

“Take early action to prevent geese from choosing an undesirable nesting site by blocking or netting off balconies, ledges, gardens, or other outdoor areas. Please ensure any netting used is bird-safe and checked daily so other animals do not become entangled.

“Relocating a goose family from a high-rise building is extremely dangerous. Prevention is truly the best medicine to ensure the best outcome for people and geese.”

With files from CTV News’ Cassidy McMackon