The City of Parksville has announced that all beaches within a certain area will be closed to dogs during the annual Brant geese migration.
All beaches within the Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management Area (PQBWMA) will be closed to dogs until April 30th.
This includes Rathtrevor Beach which is closed to dogs starting on February 15th and Parksville Bay Beach which closes to dogs on March 1st.
“The Black Brant geese you see along our shores are on a difficult journey of migration from California and Mexico to northern nesting grounds,” wrote the City of Parksville in a press release.
“Our beaches provide an abundant food source for Brant, which need to gain weight and strength before making another non-stop flight.”
They added that any disturbance caused by something as simple as a child or dog running on the beach can have drastic effects on the geese while feeding.
Because of the delicate nature of the Brant geese migration, neither on-leash or off-leash dogs will be permitted on the specified beaches during this time of year.
Also of note is that all dogs within PQBWMA areas are required to be leashed.
