Ottawa residents may soon be able to grow food on city-owned property near roads, if a motion passed by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is adopted by full council.
If the motion amending a bylaw is adopted, it would allow fixed planters placed half a metre away from the sidewalk and 1.5 meters away from the road on streets without sidewalks. Non-permanent containers, such as flowerpots, would be allowed seasonally half a metre from the road or sidewalk between April 1 and Nov. 15. Residents could plant without a permit on local streets where the speed limit is 40 km/h or less.
College Coun. Laine Johnson also proposed an amendment, which was adopted, to let residents plant low lying plants instead of grass.
In 2023, the city amended a road use bylaw, giving residents the freedom to plant on a boulevard. But these changes didn’t let residents grow food. City staff have been looking into expanding gardening on boulevards based on demand from residents and community groups. A city staff report recommended this change.
“[The proposed updates] show that the city can and will prioritize solutions that enable our local food system,” said Kate Vienot from Just Food, a community farming organization. “We’re almost there.”
But Vienot and other advocates say the motion doesn’t go far enough.
Erica Snardlow, of Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) Ottawa, suggested a number of additions to the amendment.
Snardlow, along with Vienot, wants to see more lenient restrictions on plant height and the inclusion of resident planted trees, alternatives to turf and restrictions on herbicides, among other things.
Staff said a blanket height restriction of one metre on plants, including planters and pots, was necessary to protect sightlines for drivers.
“This restricts a ton of key foods,” said Snardlow. “Tall plants like tomatoes, peas — those could be out.”
CAFES and other groups want the city to include tree planting on boulevards without a permit, an addition Snardlow says would save the city money.
The current “Trees in Trust” system requires residents who wish to have a tree planted by the city call to get a site inspection, to ensure the tree wouldn’t damage to utilities.
“The cost to plant a tree by the city is just over $1,100 including tax,” said Snardlow.
If 1,000 residents planted one tree on a boulevard and half the trees survived more than 10 years, “this alone could lead to a $5.62 million in cost savings to the city.”
City staff said they were working on measures to allow tree replacements without a request. They wouldn’t recommend tree planting on boulevards without a permit though, because they are worried about damage to underground utilities.
Another concern raised by multiple community groups was the use of pesticides and herbicides. These groups are concerned chemicals would affect wildlife and residents.
The city staff said the use of pesticides and herbicides question was outside the scope of the bylaw. If the council wanted to look into pesticides it would require a larger study by city staff.
“This is iterative right,” said Johnson. “We are moving from what was once, you know, a fairly restrictive bylaw, to greater and greater permissions.”
“It is slow, bless this city,” she said.
