Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader
Holding the line on weed control is a struggle for the M.D. Is it worth the effort when your municipal neighbours and even the provincial government don’t seem to care much about it? Those and other questions dominated a sizeable chunk of the M.D. of Lesser Slave River council meeting on Aug. 14.
Councillor Sandra Melzer had put the matter on the agenda. There are some problem areas, she said, and the Ag Service Board (ASB) is “looking for direction – how much energy do we put into it?”
One issue is the province is not looking after weeds in highway rights-of-way. Also, “We haven’t been issuing weed notices because we don’t have the manpower to enforce,” Melzer said.
On a recent road tour, the ASB members were shown a couple of agricultural properties where weed control has been ignored altogether.
“If we give a notice we have to be able to back it up,” Melzer said.
“Hire a contractor,” suggested CAO Allan Winarski.
The money’s not in the ASB budget, said councillor Robert Esau. We’ll get it back eventually (from the property owners), said Winarski. Yes, but not until next year, said Esau. In the meantime, “the ASB has a big hole it doesn’t have cash for.”
As for the problem with weeds along provincial highways, “you might want to talk to your MLA,” the CAO suggested.
“Can we give Alberta Transportation a weed notice?” asked councillor Brian Rosche.
Yes we can, was the answer. And good luck getting paid back if the M.D. undertakes the weed control work.
Another drag on the M.D. weed control campaign: its neighbouring municipalities aren’t as diligent, and property owners know that their neighbours over the county line aren’t held to the same standard.
“The County of Westlock doesn’t enforce anything,” said Esau. “And Athabasca does minimal.”
Barry Kolenosky, the ag fieldman, speaking about some rogue properties, said it’s too late to get anything done this season. The plan is to issue warnings in October, weed notices in November and – assuming appeals are dealt with over the winter and the property owners choose not to do the work themselves – treat the offending fields in June.
As to the M.D.’s ongoing attitude toward weed control, reeve Murray Kerik is strongly in favour of holding the line.
“We have to keep pressing forward on this,” he said. “We put a lot of work into controlling tall buttercup (etc.). It would be too bad if it was wasted.”
Councillor Esau agreed. “It would be terrible,” he said.
Esau went on to say that in his experience, after the initial full treatment of his property for weeds, annual maintenance has become very manageable, without a lot of effort or expense.
“It’s a good program,” he said.
Councillor Brad Pearson asked about the weed situation in M.D. hamlets. Kolenosky said the approach would continue to be one of education, rather than enforcement.