Photo: Jayne Withnall

The geese have taken over Kin Beach and Vernon councillor Scott Anderson would like to change that.

During Monday's council session, Anderson asked if there had been discussion of a cull of the huge flock of Canada geese that hang out at the beach.

“It's affecting the water quality which is almost self-evidently true,” Anderson said later. “What I've heard is people would like to have it cleaned up.”

Staff promised to look into an egg addling program that had been used at the site in the past.

While many blame the geese for murky water, others are not so quick to judge.

The City of Vernon has teamed up with Genome BC and the University of Victoria to analyze water quality around Kin Beach.

“There will be genetics testing on fecal waste,” explained Mark Dowhaniuk, infrastructure manager. “We'll be able to genetically match it, be it geese or dogs or cattle or humans.

“We're timing the sampling in the spring during the freshet, the spring runoff.”

Samples will be taken at various times throughout the three-year project, Dowhaniuk explained.

“I would think the preponderence of evidence is that it's the geese since there aren't a lot of humans using it that I know of but there are very many geese,” said an unconvinced Anderson after the meeting.

He still wants a cull.

“The method by which it's done, that's up to the experts, but the end result would be fewer geese.”