Well, not literally - but figuratively. Seriously though, chances are that if you are on Vancouver Island you've seen a lovely (sarcasm alert) plant bloom lately with the sun finally emerging from beyond the clouds with our late spring. Don't get your hopes up, I'm talking about scotch broom. It's not a lovely feature of Greater Victoria, and it carpets our scenery.
But scotch broom doesn't just sting our retinas, it also leaves huge holes in our wallets. Every year, the weed costs millions of dollars to farmers and the lumber industry. As we all know, a hit to the governments finances, is a hit to our finances. Yet despite this, scotch broom has only gotten heckled. Nearly no action has been taken to combat this invasion. Mill Hill had massive problems with the plant and after years of patience, the problem is now subsiding thanks to a volunteer organized program.
It's cases like this where government action is needed. Hiring seasonal workers through the city to remove invasive plant species would be a huge benefit for the entire community. It would cost far less than simply procrastinating over the issue and beautify public lands. The program would not be short lived however, as seeds can remain dormant for up to a decade. Thus, this would be a watch-and-see initiative, reliant on community input to report any new or untouched patches. But the problem goes beyond the spectrum of just scotch broom.
Other invasive plant species including English Ivy and the Himalayan blackberry also draw us back. The solution lies within a long-term approach involving a by-law prohibiting invasive species such as scotch broom, English Ivy or the Himalayan blackberry on private property. Then it's a matter of hiring seasonal workers paid at living wage through the city to remove invasive species on public property over an extended period. Then, barring any incredible unforeseen variable, with patience and cooperation among other communities, Langford would solve this problem.
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