Updated Boulevard garden bylaw to be presented to Thunder Bay city council

The City of Thunder Bay says it's changed the Boulevard Garden and Maintenance draft By-law based on public feedback.

Updates include increasing maximum height of gardens to one metre, allowing plants up to 60 cm tall in setback areas and allowing garden boxes on most boulevards.

The bylaw will no longer require those planting edible plants to include an "eat at own risk" sign. The registration system has also been changed to a "Garden Acknowledgement Declaration."

City climate action specialist Danielle Thom said the increased height requirements will allow for more biodiversity. 

"It's going to allow us to plant more plants in these spaces by allowing that higher height because 60 centimetres is quite short for growing to flower for a lot of things," said Thom.

Initially received in September 2024, the proposed bylaw would allow property owners to grow plants on city-owned boulevard areas. Thom said the proposed bylaw prompted a significant amount of public interest, so the city decided to gather feedback and update it. 

Most public suggestions inform new proposed bylaw: city

She said about 500 members of the public contributed to the new changes. Out of the 17 key themes from their feedback, Thom said at least 11 will be incorporated into the bylaw.

"We're reaching about 60 to 70 per cent of those asks through the amendments that we've made," Thom said.

Thom said the only suggestions that were rejected were either outside the bylaw's scope or posed a safety concern. For example, further height increases won't be considered because anything above the current height guidelines could impact lines of sight at intersections. Shrubs and woody plants also won't be allowed on the boulevard gardens, said Thom.

"We were chatting with accessibility and some other folks, and there's some concerns about trip hazards, woody plants and some grey areas in the Accessibility Act around those."

Thom said they will use a declaration system so the city is aware of who has gardens and where.

"It'll also allow us other mechanisms like public education to reach folks," she said. 

Councillors will be presented with the updated proposed bylaw Monday night. The city hopes to ratify it in the new year, Thom said.