[Pollinator] Garden bylaw violation rescinded

[Ladadams at aol.com]

This is an important problem we will need to help - the  perception of what 
a garden is!  LDA
Garden bylaw violation rescinded
Naturalized half-acre property in Constance Bay OK 

 
By Joanne Laucius , The Ottawa  CitizenJuly 24,  2009
 

OTTAWA — Ottawa has rescinded a notice of violation against a  Constance 
Bay couple who attracted the ire of the city’s bylaw officials over  their 
meadow-like “pollinator garden.”
 
 
 
 
 
The couple received a letter from the city solicitor Friday said Will Amos, 
a  lawyer at the Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic at the University of 
Ottawa  representing Hank and Vera Jones.  
“The city recognizes that there are a lot of natural gardens in the city of 
 Ottawa and this is an issue that isn’t going to go away,” said Amos. 
The Jones’ naturalized garden is designed to attract pollinators such as 
bees  and butterflies to native plants. While pathways have been mown through 
parts of  the garden, they have added native plants and most of the 
half-acre property is  being allowed to revert to its natural state.  
The couple got a notice from the city about three weeks ago warning them 
they  were in violation of bylaw 2005-208 for failing to remove heavy 
undergrowth,  long grass or weeds, and telling them to cut their grass or risk 
having the city  do it and bill them for the work. 
Hank Jones admits the garden “looked pretty scruffy by some people’s  
standards,” but said it’s more environmentally friendly than a cultivated 
garden  using pesticides. The couple have been removing invasive species and 
noxious  plants. “It’s in the transitional phase right now. You have to go 
through it,”  said Vera Jones.  
There were two cases in Toronto where similar by-laws were overturned, said 
 Amos, adding that the Jones case is an opportunity for by-law reform.  
“Yes, this is a victory for the Joneses,” said Amos. “But more 
importantly,  this is a victory for all residents who are excited at the prospect of a 
city  that could be held up as a model municipality.”  
Vera Jones said she and her husband have been  amazed





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





Laurie Davies Adams
Executive  Director
Pollinator Partnership 
423 Washington Street, 5th  floor
San Francisco, CA  94111
415-362-1137
LDA at pollinator.org

_www.pollinator.org_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 

_www.nappc.org_ (http://www.nappc.org/) 

National Pollinator Week is June 22-28, 2009. 
Beecome  involved at _www.pollinator.org_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 
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