Town adjusts bylaw so it’s not a buzz kill with Bee City designation

Fort Erie council had to put its stinger into the town’s lot maintenance bylaw on Monday night as a result of the municipality applying to become a Bee City earlier this year.

Part of that application is that the local government encourages pollinator-friendly plantings on private and public lands, which resulted in a staff report on changes that need to be made when it comes to rules involving naturalized gardens.

The current bylaw states that vegetation cannot grow above 15 centimetres in height.

“The town would not be able to fulfill its Bee City commitments without amending this type of language,” said junior environmental planner Zachary George in a presentation at Monday’s council-in-committee meeting.

If the proposed changes are officially approved through bylaw after Monday’s staff report was endorsed, the updated rules will order that property owners “ensure that, other than on land zoned for agricultural operations, turfgrass is kept trimmed to a maximum height of 15 centimetres.”

But there is one exception.

If a property consisting of turf grass is over one hectare in size, the cutting of a perimeter strip is required whenever the growth exceeds 15 centimetres, reads the proposed updates.

In the current bylaw, all vegetation is “treated the same,” said George.

Mayor Wayne Redekop added an amendment to the report out of safety concerns.

He said a one-metre setback from sidewalks and neighbouring properties needs to be included, noting this would reduce the chance of people being stung by bees.

Other updates to the bylaw being proposed by staff are that vegetative growth shall not obstruct sidewalks or streets, and also not conceal or interfere with the use of any fire hydrant or water valves.

Vegetative growth shall not restrict driver and pedestrian sight lines at intersections, driveways, sidewalks, walkways, or visibility to all traffic control devices, while also not encroaching on any neighbouring or town properties.

Ward 6 Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes questioned whether staff will be able to enforce some of the new rules.

“I don’t think bylaw is going to start pulling out people’s gardens,” she said.

The revised bylaw also targets a number of plants that will be prohibited in town. These include Canada thistle, common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, dog-strangling vine, garlic mustard, giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, phragmites, poison ivy, loosestrife, and ragweed.

The proposed revisions to the bylaw will “enhance clarity, improve enforcement, and allow for regulated naturalized gardens that contribute to biodiversity and align with the town’s Bee City commitments,” reads the staff report.

The changes will “enable residents to plant pollinator-friendly gardens while respecting the aesthetic and maintenance standards of the community, supporting both ecological stewardship and harmonious neighborhood relations.”

Through Bee City Canada, bee-friendly municipalities commit to supporting work that establishes and maintains healthy pollinator habitats within their town or city limits.

Declines in the populations of pollinators such as bees has been a concern among environmental and agricultural groups for several years.

Bee City Canada’s website estimates that more than 87 per cent of flowering plants are animal-pollinated, and three quarters of the major crops we grow for human consumption either depend on, or benefit from, animal pollinators.

That accounts for just over one third of food production by volume.

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