‘Do the proper job’: Northwest residents upset over upkeep of Calgary’s public spaces

Residents in the community of Nolan Hill are raising concerns about the city's maintenance work on its public spaces.

Residents in the northwest Calgary community of Nolan Hill are disappointed with what they say is a lack of upkeep at a number of green spaces in the area.

This summer, Nolan Hill resident Tania Sarin had to take her dog to the vet to get a foxtail seed in her nose removed, leaving her with a $600 bill.

“Once a dog gets a foxtail stuck up their nose, it’s almost impossible (to remove it) and it’s very irritating,” said Sarin.

Sarin says she and her dog, Luna, commonly come across the plant when they are out for a walk in their neighbourhood.

“It’s very irritating, and it feels like we’ve not been acknowledged,” she said.

She is one of many Nolan Hill residents upset over what they say is a lack of maintenance around public pathways, boulevards and green spaces they say are overrun with weeds and litter in their area.

A petition has been launched calling on the city to address the issues.

“We have a problem in our neighbourhood,” said the petition’s organizer, Kristina Kotik.

“I see the difference because I’m working downtown.”

Kotik points to issues like foxtails being seen throughout the neighbourhood and the problem they pose.

She also says the area’s green spaces and meridians are only cut three to four times a season, which she and others who signed the petition say isn’t nearly enough.

They’re also concerned about issues such as litter and piles of grass clippings.

“We want to get attention for us, for our neighbourhood. We expect the city will come and do the proper job for our neighbourhood,” Kotik said.

The petition currently has more than 260 signatures.

In response to residents’ concern over foxtails, the City of Calgary’s parks division provided a statement:

“Foxtail barley is a native species, which means it is not a weed, and that we do not typically remove it from City Parks & Open Spaces land. While we are not required to control it, we do reduce the numbers of these plants in high-use areas like off-leash areas, parks and other green spaces through mowing. We also raise awareness about this native plant and the potential issue for dogs,” the statement read.

Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness has met with residents about their concerns.

“We had an audit report showcase weaknesses in our accountability controls on those contractors,” she said.

Wyness says she is aware of instances where Nolan Hill residents trimmed city green spaces with their own lawnmowers.

“We have to really look at what are the standards we expect. It breaks down to we’re going to have to inject more money into the budget for the services Calgarians are asking for,” she said.

Nolan Hill residents are scheduled to meet with parks representatives on Sept. 20.