A planter outside Calgary City Hall has been a home for Canada geese for over a decade but officials say with construction of the New Central Library nearing completion, the birds cannot stay.

Since 2003, Canada geese have been making their home inside the flower bed just outside City Hall, prompting officials to block off a section of the stairwell and entrance to make sure the birds have enough space to care for young.

The situation has become a tradition for staff at the building, who named the goose that returned year after year ‘Lucy’.

“About half of the doors are blocked off and so people would be stuck on the other side of the stairwell just to ensure there is distance between the nest and the geese and any pedestrians,” said Jilian Henderson, executive facilities advisor with the City of Calgary.

Now, because of construction across the street and an increase of pedestrian traffic in the area, the planter has been boarded up to deter her from returning.

Henderson says the idea was hatched following a meeting with the Canadian Wildlife Service.

“We were worried about the well-being of the geese because there is an increased amount of traffic and people. They advised that it would be best to board this so that the geese do not nest here this year.”

She says that Lucy will be missed by staff at City Hall, but they know that it is what’s best for her and her goslings.

“I think people enjoyed her being here, but I think for the most part, people are worried about their own well-being and if this is what’s best for the goose, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

The Canadian Wildlife Service has advised that the planter should be boarded up every year, Henderson says, so geese understand that they should not nest there anymore.

She hopes that Lucy will stay in the Calgary area though.

“She’ll nest somewhere close to the river, hopefully.”

Canada geese are a protected species under law because they are covered under the same act that conserves migratory birds.

While they are protected, the law also provides management tools to reduce conflicts with birds that may cause damage and danger. Those include permits to scare birds away from an area, destroy eggs, relocate problem birds and/or kill birds.

(With files from Brad MacLeod)