Goodbye, Godfather
Mill Lake residents are mourning the loss of this domestic goose, who befriended his wild brethern.
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Updated: November 06, 2009 4:27 PM
To Jim and Joan Baerg, he was the Godfather – the kind of personality that took charge and let everyone know who was boss.
The big white goose stood out from his peers at Mill Lake. The Canada geese, the mallards, the coots and the occasional cormorant came and went, but the Godfather was a consistent regal presence.
The Baergs, who moved into a townhouse complex across from Mill Lake three months ago, grew attached to the feathered fellow, who they observed while on walks around the lake and from their home.
They learned more about the bird from an elderly man who would whistle, and the big goose would swim over for a treat of rabbit pellets.
The Godfather was a domestic bird, likely dropped off at the lake by someone who no longer wanted him. His weight and body structure prevented sustained flight.
He had been at Mill Lake for about five or six years, and until a year ago, had a mate by his side. His partner simply disappeared one day.
Every spring, the Godfather would adopt a family of Canada geese and help nurture the goslings until they were ready to be on their own – usually longer than their own parents did.
“He was a fixture on the lake. You would look out and he was always there,” said Rod MacDonald, who has lived in a home that borders Mill Lake for the last 35 years. He called the goose Sam.
Sam or Godfather, the Baergs got to know his personality.
“You could tell he was in charge and he would squawk if they (the other birds) didn’t obey him,” Jim said.
Joan was especially fond of him. She wanted to pet him, but didn’t dare try.
Last Sunday morning, while eating breakfast, the couple noticed the goose flying, trying to keep up with his buddies who were heading off to search for food. But he didn’t gain enough height, and flew into a hydro wire, dying instantly and knocking out power to the area.
Jim and Joan ran to the stricken goose. They turned him over, and saw the wounds to his throat and chest.
There was nothing they could do. The pair went to church and by the time they returned home, the Godfather’s body had been removed, likely by the crew that had come to repair the hydro wire.
The lake will no longer be the same for the Baergs, but Joan has something that will help preserve the bird’s memory.
She has two of his feathers, to pet whenever she wants.
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