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White Rock mulls over knotweed plans

Invasive and dangerous plant could require management strategy.
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Victoria Avenue resident Charles Williams is certain that an invasive plant officials in Metro Vancouver have been warning can damage infrastructure has been growing on city property adjacent to his home for years.

White Rock needs a plan to deal with an invasive plant capable of wreaking havoc on city infrastructure.

City manager Dan Bottrill and city arbourist Aelicia Otto confirmed last week that officials are looking at developing a "management strategy" for Japanese knotweed.

"We do need to talk about it," Otto said.

The weed has been in the news of late, after it was discovered splitting concrete in the footings of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and infesting a Burnaby section of the $3.3-billion Port Mann/Highway 1 expansion project.

The publicity caught the attention of Victoria Avenue resident Charles Williams, who is certain a massive plant growing on city land adjacent to his property is one of the demon weeds.

"It's definitely that plant," Williams said, pointing to a cluster of leafy, bamboo-like stems spanning about four feet across at its base.

"This has been growing there ever since I moved in, which was 20 years ago. It grows about 20 feet tall."

Williams said he breaks off or pulls out the stems every fall when they become dormant, and the city picks them up as yard waste. Every year, it returns a little bigger, and he's concerned it could impact a water line he's been told runs along the same strip of property, parallel to Balsam Street.

Jennifer Grenz, program manager at the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver, has described the knotweed as "a huge issue in terms of infrastructure and safety." The concern is compounded by the plant's resilience to eradication efforts.

Otto said she has fielded a number of calls since word of the problem hit the news earlier this month.

She described it as a "pretty competitive plant" and said while the city currently has no policy on how to deal with it, officials do want to hear from residents who know where it's growing.

To report suspected knotweed, call 604-541-2181 or email aotto@whiterockcity.ca

Officials are also monitoring public lands for any sign of giant hogweed. The city issued an appeal for help locating that plant July 3, warning that contact with the non-native invasive – which has large blossoms of numerous white flowers clustered in an umbrella-shaped head – can cause "considerable injury."

 

 



Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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