The following article appeared in the September14 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
Clearly-irked residents seeking a pesticide ban railed against the municipally-owned Guelph Junction Railway at a boisterous Ward 2 meeting Monday evening, hosted by councillors Vicki Beard and Ian Findlay.
Some were particularly incensed at what they see as a railway board slow to respond to complaints recently requesting, through Beard, more residents to pass their concerns along in writing.
Resident Norman Liota said he sent his complaints along two weeks ago and has yet to hear back from the railway board. Now, it’s asking for more input?
“I don’t get it. The board may or may not pay attention,” Liota said.
Beard responded: “I think they’ll pay attention.”
Findlay noted the railway, which operates at arm’s-length to Guelph City Hall, has directed a governance committee to study issues like future maintenance of the rail line through Guelph, some of it along a new trail city council has approved and for which work has begun. The committee is also to propose options. When the city banned pesticides years ago, it allowed the railway to continue using the chemicals to keep tracks free of weeds and reduce the risk of fires.
But Beard made it clear she wants ultimately for environmentally-friendly alternatives to replace pesticides.
“I’m trying to get rid of the spraying all together,” the councillor stressed.
At the meeting of almost 40 people in the Evergreen Seniors Centre, residents urged restricting pesticide use because homes and yards where children play are so close to rail lines and the trail. They said it’s a citywide issue, and not restricted to their north-east ward.
“Proximity to residential areas is my central concern,” said resident Joel Wright, the father of two young boys. “You like to have a healthy community.”
Resident Ruth Dolby said, however, she isn’t troubled by the common pesticide used to control weeds.
But another resident, John Ryan, wondered whether citizens are helpless in their fight against spraying. “We have no way of stopping that at this point?” he asked.
“You just tell them they can’t do it,” resident Ben Barclay urged councillors, who responded they can’t, even as city representatives, individually dictate railway policy by themselves.
Findlay said the railway board’s governance committee may need months to assess the situation. “It’s not something they do overnight.”
But Findlay added council may ultimately decide itself that it’s wise to reform the pesticide bylaw to include a railway spraying ban.
“Now we can probably tie up those loose ends,” Findlay said.
Beard said on a positive note, there’s a lull in pesticide use as the issue is considered, since the railway is done spraying for the year.