City Taking Stock of its Use of Herbicides
Prince George, B.C.- It is spring, and that means folks will be applying fertilizers and herbicides to bring their lawns into shape.
The use of herbicides is one of particular concern to at least one local resident who has written to Council saying his wife suffers from allergies to the weed killers. He has called on Council to implement a City wide ban on herbicides in an effort to help all who suffer from allergies to the weed killing chemicals.
There are some communities which have initiated complete bans on herbicides but Councillor Jillian Merrick wants to know more about what Prince George is doing on this front, and how the City can show leadership “Without having to impose a ban City wide on other players.”
The City of Prince George prefers to use prevention and mechanical methods to deal with weeds. This year, the parks department has been given a budget boost to hire more staff over the summer to keep the parks and boulevards clear of weeds. However, the City does use both Round Up and Killex when it comes to weed control. Last year, the City used 4.95 kgs of Round Up and 12.5 kgs of Killex .
The City says the herbicides are not “broadcast” rather, they are spread directly on the weeds. The applications are made at night between 8pm and 5 am. The areas treated are signed 24 hours in advance of the application and the signs remain in place for 48 hours after the application.
Council wants a little more information on the issue, and has asked Administration to bring back a short report on the locations, types and volumes of herbicides used in the past year.
Comments
I think the biggest issue is people who don’t know how to use herbicides and pesticides, so they overuse them massively. You know “If a little is good, the lots is better!”. Maybe someone should just have to have their pesticide applicator’s certificate before buying them? I doubt the city’s small amount used is at fault here.
Does the city publish a herbicide plan? For example what they use, where they apply it etc? The schools are not done, neither are the meridians.. I doubt South Ft George park is either. Where do they use them?
There are some pretty major invasive plant populations in the city. Maybe on those, when it is not really practical to hand-dig? I also wonder about sports fields where broadleaf weeds like plantain are a problem (it gets really slippery, a possible danger to athletes).
meridians ?
I hope they ban the neonicanoids (spl) that harm the bees. We don’t need to be contributing to that problem.
Also the drive into PG is atrocious with the boulevards covered in weeds. It truly does look like entering a bush town that just doesn’t give a wit about its appearance. Surely they can pay a guy with a scrapper and a weed wicker to spend one day cleaning that up. I know last year he weeds got up waist high in some places.
There are alternate methods and options for the City to Explore and utilize for weed control, management and maintenance. The City of Courtney and Edmonton have found our options and are using.
Check out Foamstream
https://www.facebook.com/grminc.ca/
https://grminc.ca/services/foamstream/
We have an new office in Kamloops and will be at the Home Show with a machine in April
We need to do everything possible to beautify our City. I agree with Eagleone…it is disgusting when you’re driving into PG and there are huge weeds growing all over the streets, sidewalks, and meridians.
At the end of the day, if the City isn’t going to maintain it’s boulevards by herbicides or manual labor…we might as just just pave the whole bloody area.
Again, how do weeds grow out of a meridian ?
Meridians are “Prime” weed growing spots…
:-)
Many of them are brick and have weeds growing out between the bricks.
The correct term is “median”. A meridian is something completely different.
I also agree with Eagleone. Our main boulevards should be kept weed free and as green as possible. Driving down any one of them gives a view of weeds coming through the cracks, brown dead grass, and just an overall impression that the City does not pay attention to the beautification of a City that cares about first impressions.
Dandelions are the first flowers for bees. There should be a complete ban of herbicides.
ht tps://www.organicconsumers.org/news/more-evidence-linking-monsanto%E2%80%99s-roundup-cancer
Never want to get pesticide on a councillor.
hahahhahh good one
As dandelions are good for bees, we should have abundant bees in PG.
We have so many dandelions here that the bees from Alberta are probably going to come in here and take all our honey!! I say “keep the dandelions for our own bees”
That’s not a lot of Roundup or Killex for a city of this geographic size!!!
Explains the perpetual yellow boulevards, etc. Now, what are they doing about the noxious weeds—THISTLES!!!
Weeds in the soccer fields–sorry, I don’t see them as a priority.
BRING BACK THE GOOD FERTILIZER that kills the weeds
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