Dandelions were recently removed from Alberta’s list of noxious weeds in an effort to reduce the province’s use of pesticide products for cosmetic purposes.
According to the Calgary Herald, under new provincial rules, the city can no longer ticket homeowners who let dandelions grow—unless they are taller than 150 mm (6 in.), the maximum grass length allowed in Calgary.
Last summer, based on 5,000 complaints received, the city issued more than 300 tickets for lawn-care problems. This year, bylaw officers can only hand out information pamphlets to homeowners when responding to complaints about dandelion-covered lawns.
“Given the experience of well over 50 cities in Canada that use more natural ways of combating dandelions, it just makes sense that we shouldn’t be using harmful chemicals for cosmetic purposes,” the city’s mayor, Naheed Nenshi told the newspaper.
According to the city of Calgary’s website, the city does not have a bylaw against pesticide use; however, it follows an integrated pest management policy, which provides detailed information on how to prevent and manage pests on lands within the city. For more information on the policy visit, www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/parks_operations/ipm.pdf.
