MOOSE JAW — Spring has officially arrived in Moose Jaw, and with it comes a familiar honking chorus along the riverbanks — a sign that the neighbourhood’s feathery tenants are back in town.
Longtime resident John Kot has been keeping a close eye on dozens of nesting Canadian geese near the Fourth Avenue Bridge, just off Maple Street. He said it’s a spectacle worth checking out.
“There are at least 60 pairs out there right now,” Kot said. “They squabble, they squawk, and they all want their own little piece of property.”
The geese have taken up residence on a small, protected strip of land between Thunder Creek and the CPKC rail yard, an area that’s not easily accessible — and probably for the best. Kot refers to it as a “goose nursery,” and advises onlookers to bring binoculars if they want a closer look without risking a confrontation.
“You can’t walk in there — they’ll attack you,” he warned, noting that even deer who normally settle in the area are driven away during nesting season. “They’re very protective once the goslings arrive.”
Kot, who grew up in the area, said the geese have been returning each spring for the past couple of decades. Each year their numbers continue to steadily grow.
“I grew up on Maple Street. I’m 65 years old, and there were no geese down there at the start…,” he recalled. “They must have started coming like 20 years ago… (and now) they always come back from wherever they were before.”
The site can be viewed by walking along the rail tracks behind the 500 block of Home Street. From there, the bridge and surrounding riverbank offer a quiet spot for bird watchers, families, or anyone looking to take a peaceful spring stroll.
“You see all their little heads sticking up across the river. There’s always something happening — one pair is always squabbling with another,” Kot said. “It’s happening right in the middle of Moose Jaw, and most people don’t even know about it.”
The nesting season kicks off in early March, and by late spring, fuzzy goslings begin to appear — but they don’t stay for long.
“Once they’re a couple weeks old, they’re gone,” said Kot. “They swim down the river and off they go until next year.”
The nesting site offers a brief window into the life of a wild urban flock, offering a reminder of nature’s rhythms, even in the heart of the city.
“They don’t ask for anything,” Kot said. “It’s just a lovely thing to watch. It’s a little sign that spring is really here.”
For Moose Jaw residents looking to reconnect with nature, Kot has a simple recommendation: take a walk with your family, bring a camera, and enjoy the show — just don’t get too close.
“It’s a hidden gem,” he said. “Right under our noses.”
