NEWS |
THE OBSERVER | Saturday, July 11, 2009
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Building that’s home to Central Tavern gets a makeover............................»11 local teen dives right in to the triathlon
»13 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 27
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2009
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Wellesley wants aggressive attack on giant hogweed
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy
Council calls on region to launch seek-and-destroy mission, charging landowners when weeds found
photo | Joni miltenburg
MARC MIQUEL HELSEN
PlAYtiME Chloe robinson spent some time just hanging around during the Woodside bible Fellowship summer camp in elmira thursday morning.
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Apparently as hardy as it is harmful, giant hogweed remains a problem despite Waterloo Region’s ramped up efforts to do away with the plant it added to its list of “noxious weeds” last year. Problem areas exist across the region. One such spot, a section of Wellesley bordered by Lobsinger Line, Hessen Strasse, Herrgott Road and Moser Young Road, came under township scrutiny this week. Ward 4 Coun. Paul Hergott won support from his colleagues Monday with a motion calling on the region to take a proactive approach to eradicating the plant. Currently, regional weed inspectors can order landowners to destroy the plant on sight. If they don’t, eradication crews can be ordered in and the bill added to property owners’ taxes. Hergott said he thinks this will be more effective, as some farmers voiced concerns over spraying plants near waterways. Giant hogweed develops pods containing in the area of 10,000 seeds. The plant likes wet soil along waterways, where it drops pods into the water, its seeds propagating downstream. Better to have the experts take care of the problem, Hergott argued. Regarding the possible opposition by some property owners to being billed for the cost of the region’s proactive services, Hergott noted that a collaborative effort by the different munici-
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palities in the region, combined with the expertise of the region’s weed handlers, might make for a more effective campaign to get rid of the nuisance. “Being there’s so much of it to get rid of, and in all the municipalities, they (the region) might be able to work things out to make it reasonable enough for the property owners to afford it,” he suggested. Under his proposal, the region would undertake spraying of hogweed on private properties along watercourses, charging property owners for the costs. A copy of the motion was forwarded to neighbouring municipalities for support. Woolwich Coun. Mark Bauman, who has been warning about the spread of hogweed since 2006, said the Wellesley recommendation goes too far. “I wouldn’t be prepared to endorse that in Woolwich Township. I think it would be fine for the region to notify the property owner, but I think that’s getting a little big brotherlike,” he said of the neighbouring municipality’s stance. Rather, raising awareness and educating people should be enough, said Bauman, who knows firsthand how noxious the weed can be. Thinking it was a “nice-looking garden plant,” he transplanted a specimen into his garden. Soon after, See HOGWEED page »02