Divisive dandelions mowed not sprayed

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Dandelions are divisive: to some, they are an unsightly nuisance; to others, they are seen to provide a cornucopia of benefits to people and the environment.

The town’s decision to not control dandelions with herbicide has caused some controversy in Strathmore. But this strategy is not unique to the town, explained Mayor Pat Fule. 

“We don’t spray for dandelions in Strathmore,” said Mayor Pat Fule during a Facebook Live address on June 19. “I decided to check on other municipalities – the City of Edmonton, the City of Calgary, various other towns – and we’re not alone in this. Many, many municipalities have gone away from spraying chemicals for dandelions and are now treating them as more of a nuisance than any kind of a noxious weed.”

Spraying dandelions is not a responsible use of Strathmore’s tax dollars because it is not an effective long-term solution to control their spread, said Fule. “Instead, we’re trying to improve the health of our turf through topdressing and fertilizing.”

The town combats dandelions through regular mowing. The town’s mowing schedule covers all town property in Strathmore, said Fule. “We’ve confirmed with our operations team that all properties have been mowed at least two times this season so far, with some high-use areas being mowed three or four times already,” he said.

According to Cameron Johnson, a biologist, environmental consultant and instructor at SAIT in Calgary, just because a plant species is considered a weed, does not mean municipalities or property owners are required to control their populations.

“When I think of a weed, I think of anything that is unwanted,” said Johnson. “In someone’s garden, if there’s a plant that’s not wanted, it’s a weed – it doesn’t matter if it’s a native plant or an invasive species.”

Under the province’s Weed Control Act, there are two types of listed weeds: noxious and prohibited noxious species, explained Johnson. “The majority of those are agricultural weeds – ones that have economic impacts to some degree.”

A noxious designation means the species must be contained, whereas prohibited noxious must be destroyed outright. Dandelions were removed as a listed species under the Act in 2011, meaning their control is no longer mandated by law.

“There was never any sort of official decision to change the way we handle weeds,” said Strathmore councillor Jason Montgomery. But once the dandelion was removed from the list, the town changed their strategy. The decision was also made to help pollinators.

“To help the bee populations, the town basically decided to not go ahead with spraying (dandelions) with chemicals,” said Montgomery.

The town prioritizes control of listed weed species, noted Fule. “These weeds present a danger to the people and animals in our community, or threaten our property and economy,” he said. Dandelions do not present such a risk.

To identify listed weed species in Strathmore, the town employs weed inspectors that have jurisdiction on any lands within its borders, including private property. The inspectors provide guidance to residents about how to control a listed species if they are identified on a property.