The addition of “all weeds” alongside “grasses” in By-law 2024-069 specifically targets a loophole that previously restricted municipal enforcement officers.

Historically, property owners could argue that certain patches of unkept vegetation were “weeds” rather than grass, technically placing them outside the strict jurisdiction of a basic grass-cutting rule. By explicitly grouping “all grasses and weeds” together under the 20 cm maximum height restriction, the city provided bylaw officers with several key enforcement mechanisms:

1. Eliminates Technical Arguments: Property owners can no longer dispute an infraction by claiming a neglected yard or boulevard is comprised of wild weeds, clover, or dandelions rather than traditional lawn turf. If it grows past 20 cm, it is a violation regardless of the plant species.
2. Targets Structural and Safety Hazards: Overgrown weeds are notorious for breaking through pavement, causing sidewalks and streets to crack, and obstructing pedestrian lines of sight. Including “all weeds” gives officers the immediate legal backing to order remediation before the vegetation causes permanent infrastructural damage or safety blind spots.
3. Addresses “Fallow” or Abandoned Lots: Corporate or neglected residential properties often let yards grow completely wild with invasive weeds, which don’t technically fall under standard lawn care terms.

The amendment ensures that these unmanaged landscapes face the exact same 72-hour notice to comply as typical overgrown lawns.

This small phrase alignment directly reduces the ambiguity of Property Standards and Yard Maintenance inspections, allowing officers to handle the high volume of summer complaints more decisively.

Recap and summary of the Shift Before the addition, officers frequently faced semantic pushback from uncooperative property owners over what specific type of plant was invading a property. Afterward, the plant species became entirely irrelevant. If a plant is not intentionally landscaped and it breaches the 20 cm limit, bylaw officers have immediate, unarguable grounds to issue a remediation order