After ruffling a few feathers and creating waves, the giant yellow duck turned tail and sailed into the sunset Monday evening.

The six-storey tall rubber duck “waddled” in Friday morning to kickoff Canada Day celebrations and the Redpath Waterfront Festival.

It is scheduled to migrate to its tour’s next stop in Owen Sound next weekend. Before flying north, the duck will be deflated, a process that will take at least two hours.

Lea Parrell, co-producer of the Redpath Festival, said the duck helped the festival break an attendance record on Saturday.

“On Saturday, we had more than we usually have in three days,” Parrell said. “It’s been unbelievable. It’s been half a million people on Saturday alone.”





She estimated that by Monday evening over 750,000 people had come out to see the duck.

“Have you seen her?” she asked, pointing to the duck. “You can’t look at her and not smile.”

Late Sunday afternoon, crowds began to gather around the big duck’s nesting site as word fluttered of her departure.

“It’s a little sad,” said Lina Maria of Toronto. “It’s a big, giant duck. Come on. It’s not everyday you get to see one.”

Cameras, phones and selfie sticks waving, people jostled their way over to the pier, most of which is barricaded because of increased water levels, to get as close as possible to the giant faux fowl.

Lisa Fong said she was happy she made it in time to see the duck, having been in Washington DC for a wedding over the weekend.

“It’s a great way of celebrating the 150th,” she said. “I know people are saying what does it have to do with Canada celebrating its 150th year but by having the duck you’re going to remember the 150th year.”

The duck created a wave of controversy over its price when the plan was announced and the fact that it wasn’t related to anything Canadian.

Parrell said the Redpath Waterfront Festival will be doing an economic impact study of the Ontario 150 duck tour, and release the results in fall.

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A store selling duck souvenirs, t-shirts and baby duckies had a steady stream of customers. Renee Mattson, merchandiser for the duck, said they did not anticipate the interest the big bird generated.

“It took even us by surprise,” said Mattson.

The most popular of the four styles of t-shirts was a duck face t-shirt in yellow with the Ontario 150 tour dates on the back. Some 600 baby duckies, which were exact replicas of the mama duck, were sold out.

As the sun faded, and the duck’s ropes were untied, Vanuja Sree and Samantha Vasanthan watched from the barricades. They were at the waterfront to bid the duck adieu.

It would have been good if the duck could’ve found a permanent nest in Toronto, said Sree.

A single seagull stood sentinel as the big, sunshine yellow fowl sailed into the sunset.

“Goodbye, duck,” floated three-year-old Aarushi Aryal’s voice, although the inflated creature did not seem to hear or care.