Parks staff have been very busy getting ready our city parks and sports fields. This is no small undertaking!
Staff update:
Most sports fields are now open for the season, except for those listed on ottawa.ca. Grass cutting is not just a big part of our preparation work before the season. It is also integral to maintaining the fields for use throughout the entire season. My email today outlines all the work your Parks and Maintenance staff does mowing grass not just in ball diamonds and sports fields, but in our passive park areas (not dedicated to a specific activity) and roadsides too.
Parks
We cut grass in our parks every seven to 14 days. Issues that could affect our level of service include weather, grass growth rate, soil conditions, staffing or vehicle levels, emergency responses and park designation. You can learn the designations of the various parks in your ward by visiting geoOttawa. Regular mowing is good for the health of the turf making it denser, discouraging weeds. We aim to keep grass height in our parks between 60 and 75 and never more than 100 millimetres unless the area is in a designated naturalization area.
Sports fields
We maintain the turfgrass in our 529 sports fields and 328 ball diamonds every three to seven days. The same issues listed above can affect our schedules for sports fields as well. Sport fields also have designations based on the events and activities they usually attract. Regular mowing creates safer playing conditions on our fields. We aim to keep our sports fields’ grass at a height of 60 millimetres with a maximum height of 80 to 90 millimetres.
Naturalization
Designated naturalized areas reduce the amount of turf we mow in various City parks and other green spaces. We typically mow naturalized areas one to two times a year to control invasive species and other vegetation control. These bio-diverse habitats slow and help to filter surface water run-off while creating homes for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. It also helps us improve the maintenance of the areas we do mow. Mowing in naturalized areas still occurs along vehicular, cycling or pedestrian corridors to define sight lines.
Roadside
We cut grass along our roadsides between five to eight times a year. This is to maintain safe sightlines along roads, paths and sidewalks. Many of our roadsides have seen a first pass. We expect to have a City-wide first pass complete by the end of the week should the weather forecast allow it. Residents are reminded of requirements of Use and Care of Roads By-Law, particularly the section which covers residents’ responsibility for cutting the grass and weeds on the boulevard abutting the owner’s land .
How residents can help
Notice anything that needs our attention? Please send a service request by emailing or calling 3-1-1. This is triaged to the right personnel in Parks Maintenance and is the fastest way to help us get the job done.
What’s next
You can expect my next email to cover all the work our staff are doing to prepare our wading pools and beaches for residents’ use this summer.
Thank you for your patience and support of our efforts!
Director | Parks Maintenance & Forestry Services
Directrice | Services d’entretien des parcs et des forêts
