Sir: Re: The “White geese matter still not resolved,” in The Chatham Voice March 13.
Sometimes I feel like tearing my hair out when I see this problem with the white geese, as it could have been easily resolved from the beginning!
If only Mr. Koke had listened and heard the complaint that his geese were disturbing the home comfort of 93 people by waking them up early in the morning and camping out for most of every day, also fighting amongst themselves for hours each day, and, yes, leaving the property with a mess that was so bad the tenants could no longer use the picnic tables and benches to enjoy a nice summer day. Some 30 to 35 large white geese were set loose to go where they wanted each and every day.
The noise, early in the morning, was horrific and startling at 5 a.m. or sometimes earlier. What a mess the geese have left on a beautiful piece of property and what a mess they made to the comfort of the people.
I don’t care if it is only one or 31 white geese, all Mr. Koke has to do is keep it or them on his property and that ends the problem, as far as the tenants are concerned.
The bylaw is the city’s problem and I commend them for the diligence they have put into getting justice for a landowner defying a legal bylaw. But justice delayed is justice denied. As you can see, with all the delays, Mr. Koke has changed the game. No longer is he talking about breaking or ignoring a bylaw. Now he is talking about it only being a numbers game.
There is no legal right to have those geese, whether or not it is one or 31, out loose and bothering other citizens, in this case a large number of citizens!
I for one, say, “Shame on you, Mr. Koke” for making life miserable for those of us who cannot defend ourselves, and once again, thank you to the municipality for taking on Mr. Koke.
Jim Daley
Chatham
