FERGUS ‒ Some Centre Wellington residents believe they should have had more of a say in the clearing of plants and underbrush from a treed boulevard on Gordon Street.
Executive director of Tree Trust, Toni Ellis said they originally heard about the removal after residents reached out with concerns about trees in the area being damaged by landscaping equipment like lawnmowers or weed whippers.
“Residents were sad to see this little patch of green go,” said Ellis. “Our area is increasingly losing its rural feel and this was one patch that still had that.”
Many also felt the decision deserved a conversation, rather than “just sending in a crew right off the bat.”
“At a time when the township makes all the sounds about working more collaboratively with community groups, this was an opportunity to demonstrate that and it was missed,” said Ellis. “The community groups in this town are so smart, engaged and involved, and I think the township loses out every time they don’t take advantage of that.”
A representative for the township said staff complete roadside mowing, clearing and weed removal to ensure sight lines and shoulders are maintained on roadways.
“In this area, staff mobilized to the median to clear the section near the signs and noticed that most of the area was covered with weeds and tall grass,” said Kendra Martin, communication coordinator for Centre Wellington. “So they decided to remove the weeds and cut the grass while they were on site, as part of our regular yearly maintenance operations.”
But Ellis said that weeds are in the eye of the beholder.
“Weeds are just something that's growing where you don't want it,” said Ellis. “It was an isolated little strip of green … we should be demonstrating progressive techniques or making things green, not necessarily manicured.”
Local historian Pat Mestern has additional concerns that the removal of plant material may allow Gordon Street to return to its swampy origins.
“The middle boulevard is really a lovely area before one has to drive into the industrial park area and was definitely put there for a reason,” said Mestern. “I’m darn sure that if it was removed and all was paved over there’d be a big problem with a bit of the road sinking on occasion – especially if heavy trucks begin to use it constantly.”
Located above Fergus' underground gorge, Mestern said Gordon Street has always been prone to excess water which used to create "bottomless holes" where the water “just disappeared into the ground.”
As a young kid, Mestern said she would go up to the end of Gartshore to pick elderberries and blueberries with her father, but he always warned her not to follow him into the “swampy area.”
“I remember reading about a young kid who was walking with his father in that area when he simply 'sank' to his neck in one of the holes which were not that apparent as greenery had grown over it,” said Mestern. “We were always told never to walk anywhere near the woods if we happened to be up in the areas.
According to Mestern, it didn’t matter if it was pouring rain, the water would swirl into this hole and “simply vanish.”
When the industrial park was built the road was “widened” – leaving the middle area a treed boulevard to accommodate those “disappearing waters."
“Even if that situation with the holes has disappeared, (the weeds) looked really beautiful," said Mestern. “Passersby have said that all the streets should have (something similar) in the middle of them.”
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
