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Proposed bylaw changes aim to allow pollinator gardens amid concerns about maintenance

July 2, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Certain municipal bylaws should be tweaked to better work for their intended purposes while supporting Orangeville’s Pollinator Protection Plan and Bee City commitments.

Katherine Rog, the town’s senior climate and sustainability specialist, told council on June 22 that the current legislation unintentionally hinders the protection of pollinators.

A pollinator garden is a deliberately planted garden or landscaped area with native and non-invasive flowering species, ornamental grasses, shrubs, or other habitat features intended to provide forage, nesting habitat, shelter, or ecological connectivity for bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinating species.

The town has identified pollinator protection and biodiversity support as important environmental priorities, but existing maintenance-related bylaws were drafted primarily to address conventional yard and boulevard maintenance, such as long grass, weeds, refuse, safety hazards, and sightline protection.

Some provisions may unintentionally restrict intentional pollinator-supportive landscaping through vegetation-height controls. Those unintentional restrictions can lead to tension between environmental objectives and bylaw enforcement.

Council in July 2025 directed staff to suggest amendments to policies, bylaws, and procedures in accordance with the timelines in the municipal Pollinator Protection Plan.

Staff recommended a harmonized amendment to the Property Standards Bylaw, the Clean Yards Bylaw, and the Boulevard Maintenance Bylaw.

Staff suggested a coordinated approach across the three bylaws to continue regulating unmanaged vegetation, hazards, refuse, sightline impacts, and pest issues.

The amendment should expressly permit pollinator gardens when intentionally planted and maintained, add objective maintenance standards that distinguish compliant pollinator-supportive landscaping from neglect, and incorporate tick-awareness design and maintenance standards, especially at property edges, public interfaces, sidewalks, entrances, play areas, and boulevard conditions.

“The intention of the proposed changes is to introduce more inclusive and enabling language within the town’s bylaws so that pollinator-friendly practices are clearly recognized and supported while still maintaining appropriate standards,” Rog said.

Orangeville resident Rick Hugh-Delaney said he opposes growing things on boulevards. Some of the plantings grow to block sidewalks, and some of the vegetation grows so high that children can’t be easily seen approaching the street.

“It looks like an unkept yard and that’s exactly what it is,” he said, and suggested people grow such things on their own property instead of municipal properties.

Matthew Smith, another resident, spoke about a Mississauga man and his legal fight to prevent that city from repeatedly mowing his garden.

Smith said the man claimed his garden was a naturalized one and that its growth was borne of his freedom of expression.

Smith said courts determined that a property owner is permitted to naturalize a garden under freedom of expression protections.

“That’s just one of the reason why I believe this should be allowed because there’s already precedent that’s been set at the higher court level,” he said.

Mark Middleton lives on Zina Street, where he takes his two children on wagon rides down the sidewalk. As kids would, they’re likely to run a hand or arm through the tall pollinator growth as they’re pulled in the wagon.

“I’m more worried about the tick (bite) potential,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor said he wished the town wouldn’t pursue such pollinator land parcels.

“To me, it looks unsightly and they’re not managed in an efficient way,” Taylor said.

He said he will vote in favour of the effort, but he hopes the town will be very controlling and set standards.

“I’ll support it, but reluctantly so,” Taylor said.

Councillor Tess Prendergast said the benefits of a pollinator garden have to be considered, and they’re not limited to aesthetics.

“The idea behind it, the impetus is coming from a very wholesome place,” she said. “It’s not about making Orangeville ugly.”

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