{"id":615495,"date":"2026-04-20T00:41:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T00:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/615495\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T00:41:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T00:41:29","slug":"calgary-downtown-condo-showdown-remains-unresolved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/615495\/","title":{"rendered":"Calgary downtown condo showdown remains unresolved"},"content":{"rendered":"

A showdown between a Calgary condo owner and her building\u2019s condo board over what to do with a goose\u2019s nest is over.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“I met with a board member the day before they executed the permit,\u201c Maragh said in an email to CTV News. \u201dShe told me that \u2018I would not get my own way.\u2019”<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a YouTube video, Maragh attempted to confirm that the eggs were gone but the nest was covered over with fluff.<\/p>\n

However, two geese who have been perched on her balcony were behaving in unusual ways suggesting that the eggs were gone, Maragh said on YouTube.<\/p>\n

In her video, Maragh wouldn\u2019t go into detail about her conversation with the condo board member apart from saying \u201cit wasn\u2019t very collaborative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Learning experience\u2019<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, CTV News reported on the story of Marag<\/a>h, who has been living with two geese who have been setting up their nest on her downtown condo balcony every year since 2021.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a learning experience,\u201d Maragh said of the geese\u2019s first arrival. But as a self-proclaimed animal person, Maragh said there\u2019s been lots to love about the polarizing creatures during their stay on her terrace.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeese mate for life,\u201d Maragh said from her balcony on Friday, a soon-to-be mother goose relaxing on the ledge behind her. \u201cThey care about their goslings. They sit on their eggs for the entire time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love that. It speaks about humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A Calgary woman is hoping to prevent a goose nest from being removed from her balcony at the hands of her condo board. A Calgary woman is hoping to prevent a goose nest from being removed from her balcony at the hands of her condo board. \u2018Highly protective and aggressive\u2019<\/p>\n

Maragh\u2019s condo board didn\u2019t share her sentiments, however.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, the board of Maragh\u2019s 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\u2019s exterior.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanada geese are known to become highly protective and aggressive when guarding nests,\u201d a letter from the Liberte EauClaire condo board said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAggressive behaviour at this elevation presents a serious safety risk to workers operating equipment and performing tasks many stories above the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lawyer for the condo board said they have had issues in the past with the geese.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pair of Canada geese nesting in the common property have been a safety hazard for years for the staff and contractors at Liberte,\u201d said Michael Kwaitkowski, a lawyer representing the Liberte EauClaire condo corporation.<\/p>\n

He said \u201cextremely aggressive behaviour\u201d exhibited by geese during their nesting season resulted in the condo board removing the Canada geese nest in 2025 and again in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d Kwaitkowski wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same will be done in 2026, under permit.\u201d<\/p>\n

CTV News has reached out to Michael Kwaitkowski and the condo board for comment.<\/p>\n

Treaty 6 support<\/p>\n

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 \u201ccease and desist\u201d from removing the nest and eggs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d StandingontheRoad wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Canada Goose, known to our people as a messenger of loyalty, devotion, and the changing of seasons, holds deep spiritual significance,\u201d he added. \u201cThese birds mate for life, protect their young with fierce dedication, and return year after year to the same sacred ground. <\/p>\n

\"\"Goose attack A Canada Goose with its goslings along the Ottawa River <\/p>\n

\u201cTo destroy their eggs \u2014 the very seeds of new life \u2014 is not a trivial administrative act. It is a wound inflicted on the web of life that sustains us all.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cShortly 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,\u201d the release said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake 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. <\/p>\n

\u201cRelocating 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

With files from CTV News\u2019 Cassidy McMackon<\/p>\n

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