Weed Control

Municipalities and private land owners in the province are required to remove and control populations of prohibited and noxious weeds, and assistance from herbicides is necessary in order for Beaumont to meet this requirement.

Also, spruce trees infected with the yellow-headed spruce sawfly will be sprayed, as they have the potential to destroy all spruce trees in Beaumont if not controlled.

Beaumont has contracted Green Oasis, which have staff of licensed and experienced practitioners to apply effectively, safely and according to the herbicide/pesticide’s application requirements. Contractors will be encouraged to work in the early morning or late evening hours to limit traffic in the area and prevent direct exposure while spraying is taking place.

The use of chemical controls will only be permitted when other mechanical and biological control options have been exhausted. School treatment will only take place in July and August when school is out.

All work will be conducted by licensed contracted crews.

• Where required, the turf broadleaf program will begin on school sports fields only when school is out in July and August.
• All broadleaf treatment locations will have signs posted indicating product used, application rate and date applied.
• Required noxious weed control will be completed throughout the year.

Only compounds that have been pre-approved by Health Canada will be considered for use and preference will be given to those herbicides that have low residual levels so as to minimize any impacts on the area. Studies conducted by Health Canada are very comprehensive and all pesticides being used have been deemed safe for both humans and the environment. Best Management Practices will also be followed, which encourage pesticide users to spot spray problem populations rather than blanket spray a large area. See below for the names of the compounds being used.

Many municipalities in the Capital Region support pesticide use when it is deemed necessary. The City of Leduc, Strathcona County, the City of Spruce Grove and the City of Fort Saskatchewan are just a few examples of municipalities who actively use chemicals to control and eliminate the presence of pests where mechanical and biological control methods have failed.

Currently, certain green spaces in Beaumont suffer from very high concentrations of broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. Also, we spray the spruce trees to control the spread and destruction caused by the yellow-headed spruce sawfly.

Spraying will be done on an “as needed” basis in the following areas during each annual growing season:

• All infested shrub beds
• All areas with large populations of noxious and prohibited weeds where it is not practical to hand-pick
• Sports fields and green spaces throughout Beaumont
• Green spaces with very high concentrations of broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions
• Spruce trees infected with the yellow-headed spruce sawfly
• Trees infected with scale insect larvae

Warning signs will be posted for up to 48 hours after spraying at each site, indicating the chemicals used.

• The City of Beaumont receives weed complaints through our City portal, by phone and email. In some cases, weed reporting is initiated through a City officer.
• Complaints are investigated for presence or absence of weeds.
• If the officer confirms that there is a weed problem, a notice is sent to the property owner notifying them that they have 7 to 10 days to resolve the issue.
• Once weed notices are issued and time to remedy has expired, a work order will be given to a city contractor to promptly remove the weeds. The expense for this removal will be billed to the property owner and added to their annual property taxes.
• Be aware, additional measures may be required to remove all of the weeds (ie: more than one cutting). It is the responsibility of the property owners to control the weeds on their property and to arrange the appropriate services and contractors to keep weed spread under control.