An Update on Weeds and Maintenance in Nolan Hill

Nolan Hill residents have raised concerns about green spaces this spring, as have residents in other communities. I've pushed for more funding and tighter service standards across the city, and while there has been progress on mowing and weed treatment in Nolan Hill, the City is still working to get the community to where it needs to be. This article outlines what is happening now, who is responsible for what, and how we can get better results together.

What the City is doing in Nolan Hill this season

In response to last year’s issues, the City has taken several concrete steps in Nolan Hill:

• Shorter mowing cycles: Parks has shortened mowing targets for 2026 to a 10‑day cycle in May and June for high‑growth periods, compared with previous cycles that often stretched beyond 14 days.
• Weekly cuts on sports fields: Sports fields receive weekly cuts 100% of the time.
• In‑house gap‑filling mowing: An in‑house mowing unit has been deployed to step in when contractors fall behind or mowing days are missed.
• Enhanced garbage collection: Eight sites in Nolan Hill are now on an increased garbage pickup frequency (from weekly to twice a week) to address overflowing cans and litter in busy locations.
• Broadleaf weed treatment: Sport fields and several other sites have been assessed for broadleaf weed control. Nine locations exceeded the City’s threshold and are scheduled for broadleaf treatment in the next 15–30 days, weather permitting. These nine sites are:
  • 590 Nolan Hill Boulevard - entire park
  • 155 Nolan Hill Drive NW entire park
  • 213 Nolan HIll Blvd NW- all turf in maintained section
  • 149 Nolan Hill Blvd NW - all turf in maintained section 
  • 705 Nolan Hill Blvd NW - traffic circle 
  • 705 Nolan HIll Blvd NW - 2 small medians
  • Nolan HIll Gate NW - 3 medians
  • Nolan HIll Blvd NW - 2 medians 
  • Nolan Hill Ave NW - 3 sections 
• Sports fields weed treatment window: Sports fields are booked for broadleaf treatment between July 6 and July 19, weather permitting.

This increased investment will not transform every space overnight, it is still early in the season, and with the increased budget it will take time for results to be seen. Residents should see action in key parks and sports fields over the coming weeks, and improvements with weeds in response to broadleaf treatment this year.

Why dandelions are so visible

Under Alberta's Weed Control Act, dandelions are not classified as "noxious" or "prohibited noxious" weeds, which means the City does not eradicate them everywhere and does not apply herbicides for cosmetic reasons alone. The Community Standards Bylaw's 6‑inch (15 cm) height limit applies to grass and herbaceous plants, but dandelions themselves rarely surpass that height, so bylaw enforcement tools are limited when the main issue is dandelions in otherwise short turf.

Parks uses an integrated pest management approach: sites are inspected and only treated when weed levels exceed set thresholds (which has been identified in a number of sites throughout Nolan Hill and treatment is scheduled), with the highest priority given to sports fields where excessive broadleaf weeds can create safety hazards and damage turf quality. On lower‑use spaces, the City relies more heavily on turf‑health measures such as aeration, fertilization, overseeding and topdressing, allowing some level of weeds while focusing herbicide use on the most intensively used and impacted areas.

This is why you may see dandelions on some boulevards and park edges even while sports fields and select high‑use sites are being treated. However, when broadleaf treatments are applied in July on the nine main sites, including sports fields booked between July 6 and July 19, dandelions will be controlled on those locations.

Who is responsible for what in Nolan Hill

One of the question raised in the "Nolan Hill Neighborhood Page" Facebook thread is confusion about who maintains which spaces. In Nolan Hill, community responsibility is shared between private residents, the Residents Association (RA), the Community Association (CA), homeowners, and the City of Calgary.

The Nolan Hill Residents Association (RA) is responsible for annual planting and maintenance of shrub beds and flower planters, entrance features (including the Nolan Hill sign), community pageantry (planters, wreaths, Christmas lights), and “repair and maintenance of landscaping for all designated green spaces, the exterior wall for the community, and clean‑up of litter within Nolan Hill designated green spaces.” Most other green spaces, including many medians and parks that are not part of the RA’s designated system, are owned and maintained by the City. There is a map of the RA‑managed sites included below:

The Nolan Hill Community Association focuses on programming, advocacy, and community life. This looks like organizing events, promoting activities like BBQs and sports programs, and representing residents’ interests when engaging in the City on planning and policy issues (including discussions about the Enhanced Landscape Maintenance program), rather than directly mowing or weeding parks. 

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their own lawns, including boulevard strips and alley‑adjacent green spaces. Under Calgary’s Community Standards Bylaw, private property owners must keep grass and other herbaceous plants on their property under 15 cm (six inches) in height. That responsibility extends beyond the lot line: homeowners are also expected to mow and maintain the grass on adjacent boulevards, lanes and sidewalk edges so they remain in a tidy condition.

The City is responsible the parks, and many of the medians, and essentially any of the common-areas that are not maintained by the RA. Part of my role as a city councillor is to act as an advocate, mediating the community’s needs with the correct party (RA, CA, City, or private owner), so that problems do not fall through the cracks.

Why 311 still matters

Using 311 can feel “unneighborly,” especially when issues are on or near a neighbor’s property. For privately maintained spaces, I encourage a respectful conversation first where that is safe and appropriate. For City‑owned or RA‑maintained spaces, however, 311 is not about blame; it is the main way the City logs, tracks, and prioritizes service across over then thousand sites.

Because we now have additional inhouse mowing capacity that can be dispatched when a contractor falls behind, accurate 311 reporting from Nolan Hill will directly influence where that crew is sent. In May, my office received a number of emails about weeds in Nolan Hill, but only two 311 reports were filed on this issue. Compared with surrounding communities, that volume of formal reports does not signal to the City that the mowing and weed‑control schedule is falling short of your expectations. When you submit a service request about a City‑owned park, boulevard, or median, you are giving City staff the data they need to act quickly and to demonstrate where service levels are not matching what residents are seeing on the ground.

If you want a higher level of service: exploring ELM

Some communities that want more attention to green spaces choose to participate in the City’s Enhanced Landscape Maintenance (ELM) program. ELM is a community‑initiated program where a Community Association, or similar non‑profit enters into a Landscape Maintenance Agreement with the City and collects additional funds (often through a special tax levy) to pay for landscaping and maintenance above standard City service levels. Participating ELM communities typically receive more frequent mowing, enhanced litter control, shrub and flower bed maintenance, and additional weed control on public lands.

I have seen conversation on Facebook around the viability of enrolling in the ELM program. As the season progresses, if Nolan Hill residents feel that the standard service still not meeting expectations even after the current mowing and broadleaf treatment improvements, I would encourage interested residents to work with the Nolan Hill Community Association to explore whether an ELM program could be a good fit. 

How we move forward

Calgarians get a short summer, and Nolan Hill families should not have to choose between allergy flare‑ups, uneven fields, and neglected boulevards when they step outside. From my side, I continue to press for tighter service standards, follow‑through on this season’s treatment and mowing commitments, and clearer communication about what to expect in your community.

From the community side, the most effective steps are: maintaining your own property (including boulevards and alley edges) within bylaw standards, using 311 for City‑owned and RA‑maintained spaces, and staying engaged with the RA and CA so we can coordinate solutions. If you have a 311 report that is not being addressed, please email my office with details and the SR # so I can follow up and advocate on your behalf with Administration, and, where needed, bring those systemic issues forward at Council.