Help Reform Ottawa's Boulevard Bylaws

There is a significant decline in animal and plant species across Canada where more than 800 species have been classified as at risk, roughly 60 of which live in Ottawa. Part of this decline is caused by habitat loss.

People are beginning to realize that every space matters, especially in urban areas. We need to reform our bylaws so that more of our green spaces that are basically turf grass, dandelions and ragweed can be transformed into microhabitats that support wildlife. Our best chance at protecting our planet is to encourage more people to plant more native species (the plants that our local pollinators and animals have evolved with and are the best source of food and habitat) in more areas.

It is currently prohibited to plant anything but grass on the city "verge" (the space between the sidewalk and the curb) and the city-owned portion of residents' lawns (which can be between 3 ft. to 8 ft. in some cases!). This outdated bylaw penalizes anyone who is already stewarding public land to building much needed habitat—residents can be subject to fines with a single complaint.

Starting in January 2022, parents from For Our Kids Ottawa/Gatineau began working with individuals from across Ottawa and Ontario to advocate for change of Ottawa city bylaws so that residents can better steward the city owned portion of front yards by replacing the grass with native plants. The goal was to return those areas to a more natural state that would provide more habitat for pollinators and act as a natural climate solution that absorbs more rainwater, sequesters more carbon and can contribute to urban cooling.

As parents, our actions are often driven by our love of our children and our drive to protect them. This advocacy change was no different—our children and grandchildren deserve the right to experience the wonder of nature and the diversity of it as we did growing up, but that is at risk if we do not act immediately.

Due to advocacy from For our Kids and Ottawa South Eco Action Network, and local residents the city has drafted proposed changes to the applicable bylaw (The Care and Use of Roads 2003-498) that would permit residents to plant in the Right of Way (ROW) in front of their residences.

This is great news, and a step in the right direction, but this reformed bylaw is still a huge missed opportunity and there are a few improvements we would like to see to make this bylaw the best of its kind in Canada This is why Ecology Ottawa and For Our Kids Ottawa/Gatineau are encouraging residents to contact their councillors (especially if their councillor sits on the transportation committee before June 22, when the regulations will be voted on at the Transportation Committee.

What are our main concerns?

• 1) Stronger prohibitions on invasive species are required to better steward and protect the biodiversity of public spaces. The city has an opportunity to set a precedent on how public land is to be planted, and because invasive species threaten Ottawa’s ecosystem and have huge financial and Human Resources cost for restoration, the best solution is prevention. The proposed changes only prohibit invasive species controlled under the Ontario Invasive Species Act and the Ontario Weed Control Act. These do not reflect the more common invasive species that residents would be likely to plant in boulevards. The bylaw should prohibit species that Ontario Invasive Species experts have already identified as being damaging to our local ecosystem. This could be the priority list provided by the Credit Valley Conservation Authority or the 30 terrestrial plants that the Auditor General recently recommended for regulation in November 2022 in their report (see pdf report).

• 2) Rethink the height restrictions. The current recommendation is to only allow plants up to 0.75 cm along all of the ROW. This is too restrictive as it significantly limits the number of species that can be planted, and the taller the plant the better it is at managing rainwater and sequestering carbon in its roots. If the concern for this height is visibility and sightlines, the restriction of height should be limited only to areas that are near the road or driveway, areas more than 1.5 m away from the road or a driveway should not be limited.

• 3) Allow and encourage edible gardening. The current proposed bylaw actually prohibit vegetable gardening, while the original bylaw was strategically silent. Many of our neighbours struggle with food security, allowing residents to grow edible plants on the ROW at their own risk and 1 m away from the road would help many residents experiencing poverty and hunger and would address the theoretical concerns the city has regarding potential soil contamination due to road emissions.

• 4) Do not prioritize turf grass over low ground cover. The proposed bylaw lists many situations where planting is not allowed (e.g. near utilities and fire hydrants etc), which basically allows only turf grass to grow. Many cities across Canada have navigated these same situation by allowing ground cover as an alternative. If it is safe for grass to grow, it should be equally safe for a 30 cm ground cover.

• 5) Allow non-permanent structures in the ROW. Not all residents are able or feel comfortable planting directly in the ground. If the city is serious about addressing climate change and food security, planter boxes should be allowed within 1.5 m of the curb or 1 m from the sidewalk. This will address any potential interaction with snow removal and snow plows and would ensure more residents have access to planting and its benefits.

You can read more about the reasons for this change and how we successfully advocated for this change on our website.

By working together, we can help expand biodiversity in Ottawa and protect our native species, which will help protect our planet and our kids!

Marianne Ariganello is a mother, scientist and organizer with For Our Kids Ottawa-Gatineau, a community of parents, grandparents and families who have come together to tackle the climate emergency by participating in family-friendly activism activities.