Operations for this year’s Wild Parsnip Strategy will begin on June 15 and last approximately one week. A second round will occur in August.
To minimize disturbance to our parks, only locations deemed to have a moderate to high level of infestation and a high risk to the public will be spot sprayed with Glyphosate, as per the Ontario Pesticide Act. In other areas, lower levels of wild parsnip infestation will be mowed or pulled by hand.
Where spraying occurs, residents should expect to see wilting or discolouration in two to four days. The full impact of the spray could take up to 20 days. The contractor will put up signs at locations before spraying and remove the signage once the spraying is complete.
Parks Maintenance and Forestry Services is also responsible for wild parsnip in storm water management areas and hydro corridors. Here, the herbicide Navius Flex will be applied and residents should start seeing the early effects within a few hours and the full effect after several weeks.
Residents will see crews of eight in the proposed locations, equipped with backpack-style sprayers.
Seventy-one parks and hydro corridors will receive spot treatment of Glyphosate and 65 storm water management facilities will receive spot treatment of Navius Flex.
The use of either Glyphosate or Navius Flex is determined by provincial legislation. Health Canada re-evaluated glyphosate in 2017 and, after assessing human health and environmental impacts, found that there is no significant risk to either when the product is used properly. In Ontario, herbicide use is regulated under the Pesticides Act. While many herbicides are banned, those containing glyphosate may be used to control plants like wild parsnip that are poisonous to humans upon contact.
Stittsville locations
- Baldcypress to Bliss Pathway (34 Baldcypress Way)
- Blackstone Fernbank 7 Stormwater Management Facility (1038 Terry Fox Drive)
- Bradley Craig Park (331 Cranesbill Road)
- Echowoods Stormwater Management Facility (123 Echowoods Avenue)
- Fernbank 2 Stormwater Management Facility (168 Bliss Crescent)
- Fernbank Wetland (6352 Fernbank Road)
- Glen Cairn – Castlefrank Stormwater Management Facility (820 Terry Fox Drive)
- Granite Ridge Stormwater Management Facility (164 Iber Road)
- Hazeldean – Grant Crossing Stormwater Management Facility (5649 Hazeldean Road)
- Iber Firehall 46 (34 Iber Road)
- Iber Road Works Yard (110 Iber Road)
- Jackson Trail Stormwater Management Facility (2090 Carp Rd)
- Johnwoods Street Linear Park (Johnwoods Street at Rosehill Avenue)
- Maple Grove Pond Stormwater Management Facility (1635 Maple Grove Road)
- Mary Durling Park (33 Brae Crescent)
- Palladium Ponds (630 Palladium Drive)
- Parade Drive Stormwater Management Facility (750 Parade Drive)
- Pine Bluff Park (46 P Hesse Crescent)
- Putney Crescent Path (679 – 683 Putney Crescent)
- Stittsville Business Park Pond (3 Iber Road)
- Vic Whittaker Park Pond (432 Cavesson Street)
- William Bradley Park (22 Porter Street)
More information
For additional information on wild parsnip—including tips on avoiding and managing the plant—please consult the City of Ottawa’s website.