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Bylaws related to grass

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Under our Community Standards Bylaw, private property owners must ensure that grasses and herbaceous plants do not exceed 15 cm (six inches) in height.

This is not to prevent or discourage xeriscaping (low water gardening practices) and does not apply to cultivated gardens.

Property owners are also responsible for caring for and maintaining the area adjacent to their property (i.e. boulevards) up to the middle of the alley and the street.

Bylaw Officers may respond to any complaint made and will issue Remedial Orders to property owners who have failed to keep their grass and herbaceous plants below 15 cm on their property.

Non-compliance of an Order will result in the City taking corrective action and the property owner will be responsible for any costs incurred.

A $400 fine may also be issued in accordance with the Community Standards Bylaw for this type of violation.​​

Foxtail Barley

As a perennial grass, foxtail barley must be controlled on properties under the Community Standards Bylaw.

Mitigation prior to foxtail barley reaching 15 cm is crucial to prevent seeding and further spread. An amendment to the Community Standards Bylaw adds the requirement that nuisance property owners control foxtail barley over 8 cm, before it poses a hazard to local pets. More information on foxtail barley and pet safety can be found here.

Under the bylaw, a nuisance property is defined as a residential or commercial property that shows signs of serious disregard for general maintenance and upkeep, adversely affecting the safety or health of surrounding residents.

The specified penalty is $500 and peace officers may issue a remedial order to direct the manner in which the plant is to be controlled, where necessary.

Related bylaws

Grass and herbaceous plants (a plant that has leaves and stems that die down to the soil level at the end of the growing season and have no persistent woody stem above ground) are regulated in sections 45 & 46 of the Community Standards Bylaw.

This page is an overview of these regulations. For more detailed information, please refer to the Community Standards Bylaw. Original copies of the bylaw are available at the City Clerk's office.

Filing a complaint

How to file a complaint and what happens to it

To report an infraction, call 311 or fill out a service request by clicking on the button below.

Report a Long Grass Infraction
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