Letters to the Editor

Op-ed: Orangeville’s Pollinator Protection Plan is about more than gardens

July 24, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Our trees, wetlands, and parks are not just background scenery in Orangeville. They are part of what makes this town feel like home. Residents care deeply about protecting our environment, and that commitment shows up every time a volunteer plants a tree, advocates for our natural spaces, or pays attention to the health of the watershed around us.

This work did not begin with a single plan. The Sustainable Orangeville Committee has long developed and promoted local green initiatives. In 2020, Orangeville became a Bee City, committing to habitat creation, native plantings, and reduced pesticide use. The Orangeville Horticultural Society laid the groundwork with our earlier community planting projects and now the Sustainable Orangeville Committee partners with Credit Valley Conservation; a reliable partner whose expertise helps us roll out community education and ecological initiatives. Community partners are essential as we build a network of pollinator spaces and work toward a local Butterflyway corridor, and many Orangeville residents are interested in finding ways to support sustainable actions like this.

Earlier this year, I brought forward a motion with two main components.

First, we are creating a municipal pollinator demonstration garden at the Town of Orangeville Community Garden, at 30 Centre Street (just north of the County of Dufferin Community Services building). This garden will serve as an educational hub, providing a model for native gardening that residents can visit, learn from, and replicate in their own yards, boulevards, schools, and business spaces. Second, the motion directs a review of Town policies to ensure we are incorporating common-sense environmental knowledge into daily municipal operations, from plant selection and public space maintenance to the way we apply existing bylaws.

This initiative to promote pollinator gardens is focused on restoring native biodiversity and promoting climate change resilience, while also supporting water conservation and reducing costly lawn maintenance. Sustainable action often means taking what we already know and making tangible steps to include it into everyday decisions that benefit our community. We know we need to create spaces that absorb water, support biodiversity, and hold up better against drought and flooding. These are practical choices that often have little to no obvious fiscal impact but benefit through what contemporary economists and scientists call ecosystem services. 

Pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, and beetles are not only intrinsically valuable, but they also provide billions of dollars in value in Canada through pollination we require for food production. The decline that is occurring in insect populations triggers a domino effect that impacts our food systems, local biodiversity, and the health of our environment.

Choosing native plants is one practical way you can help. Suited to local conditions, native plants require less watering and maintenance and organizations like Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) can provide recommendations for species that best suit wet or dry areas, or spaces with full sun or part-sun. Furthermore, unlike short turf grass, native plants have deep root systems that hold soil in place and allow rainwater to soak into the ground rather than running off and flooding our neighbourhoods. Low-impact development and rain-ready landscapes filter and return water to the earth, reducing stress on our shared stormwater infrastructure.

In a changing climate, heavier rains and hotter summers are already putting pressure on municipal infrastructure. A small change in how we plant a boulevard or public space may seem simple, but across our town, those choices add up.

We are all learning together. Many residents want to support pollinators but don’t know where to start, what maintenance looks like, or how to begin without feeling overwhelmed. That is why education matters. If you ask any educator, you will be told that to teach something effectively, you need to model it first. The demonstration garden at 30 Centre Street creates that practical entry point for residents by offering real examples and clear information that make pollinator planting feel manageable.

This initiative also proves that environmental stewardship is not only compatible with fiscal responsibility, but is being promoted through grants and other funding opportunities both locally and through large organizations. Supported by a TD Friends of the Environment Foundation grant and installed by volunteers, the pollinator demonstration garden shows that meaningful climate action doesn’t require a large municipal budget. It requires a good plan, strong partnerships, and people willing to get their hands in the soil.

We are aware of aesthetic worries that pollinator-friendly practices might lead to messy, overgrown properties. The plan to promote pollinator gardens will provide practical guidelines and guidance for a functional approach, while considering opinions on beauty aesthetics. A thoughtful pollinator plan gives residents clearer information and gives bylaw officers better tools. Effective pollinator gardens are intentional. They feature specific plants that bloom across seasons to provide food and shelter without creating safety or nuisance concerns. 

With better education, residents and staff can tell the difference between neglect and a purposeful, naturalized space. A formal staff report will be brought to Council on August 10, 2026, regarding bylaw amendments related to pollinator-friendly practices. Following that report, the Town’s focus will shift to community engagement, rolling out local education sessions and community giveaways of plants and seeds to give residents the tools to build their own spaces at no or low cost.

Mosquito fogging and broad pesticide use is also part of this conversation. Pesticide use does not just target mosquitoes. It harms bees, butterflies, and other important insects essential to healthy ecosystems. Often, nuisance insects or a fear of ticks drives the urge to spray, but chemical fogging ends up killing virtually all living things on a lawn while failing to address the root of the problem.

Furthermore, fogging does not stay in one yard. Chemical sprays travel into water sources and drift across property lines, carrying risks into shared or private spaces. We know everything in an ecosystem is related, and we must remember that even when tempted to spray for ‘pests.’

We can achieve safer pest control through natural alternatives and smart landscaping with native plants. Simple actions, like keeping major footpaths trimmed, clearing away damp leaf litter, and creating gravel or woodchip borders between lawns and wooded areas, disrupt tick habitats entirely. For backyard protection, homeowners can use botanical yard sprays derived from natural garlic, cedar oils, or a fungus-activated mosquito dunk bucket. These options repel biting pests more effectively than broad pesticide use while leaving vital pollinator and bird populations unharmed.

On a personal note, I think this work matters because it is one way we can make a difference locally. There are times when the problems around us feel too large, too far away, or out of our hands. We hope the people making these decisions are working with the best information available, because sometimes that is the only way those decisions can make sense. At the local level, we can see the choices in front of us more clearly. We can learn, adjust, and do the best we can with the information we have. That is what this plan is about: taking practical steps close to home and doing what we can to support the growing call for solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss while making our community healthier and more resilient.

Thank you to the Orangeville Citizen for continuing to cover this issue and bringing public attention to the conversation. Civic discussion is important and residents deserve clear information about what is being proposed and why it matters. The Pollinator Protection Plan is about simple, practical steps that help our town adapt for the future while staying true to the community values we share.

This op-ed was written by Tess Prendergast, an educator and elected town councillor for Orangeville, with the assistance of local scientists Jodi Elchyshyn and Joshua Pickering. Elchyshyn provides a voice for native plant advocacy in Orangeville and beyond, while maintaining a strong dependence on science for effective decision-making with direct community benefit in mind. Pickering is an advocate for sustainable action in Orangeville, currently completing a PhD at the University of Waterloo in Biology, and passionate about educating people on nature, for which we are all a part of. Prendergast, Elchyshyn and Pickering are all members of Sustainable Orangeville. 

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