'Blizzard of white' descends on Metro Vancouver

Tens of thousands of snow geese have begun their descent to Metro Vancouver, part of theirannual migration every winterfrom the Arctic to the Fraser Estuary.

"It's a blizzard of white," says Jasper Lament, chief executive officer of the Nature Trust of British Columbia.

Lament says he has already spotted gaggles of thousands of geese in Richmond, Surrey and Delta.

But not everyone is as enthusiastic as Lament about their new featheredneighbours.

"It does create some issues for us, particularly if they land on some of our sports fields and school fields and defecate," says Tom Townsend, a spokesman with the City of Richmond.

"It can cause quite a public health and safety issue" said Townsend, adding the citytries to control the geese by hazing them with dogs, and planting certain types of vegetation to lure them out of town.

In the past, there have been calls for a cull, but Townsend says a cullis not currently part of the city's strategy.

Lament says peopleshould "treasure this resource," and encourages the public to head out to the Fraser Estuary to see this "natural spectacle."