Kamloops neighbourhood takes action on neglected roadside weeds

Kamloops residents banded together to beautify their neighbourhood when city hall decided to cut costs.

They cleared out a Valleyview roadside greenspace after months of neglect when residents decided they would take action if government didn’t.

“After the entire summer of residents complaining… we thought let’s get together and do it ourselves, because our local and provincial governments failed to come up with a solution,” Chris Ponti said, adding that he left the event “on a high.”

The Highland Drive intersection with the Trans Canada Highway was once a landscaped space at the entrance to the city, with manicured shrubs and healthy trees. City hall cut landscaping costs last year to save more than $100,000 from the annual budget, and the Valleyview space was one of several to become overgrown with invasive weeds over the summer.

Ponti and the Valleyview Neighbourhood Association advertised a clean-up day to pick up where government left off. Around 15 people got together on Sept. 28 to clear out the space, carrying off debris in trucks, with a few getting there a day before, Ponti said.

“Maybe we can let the province and the city know this is kind of important to us. Do better next time,” Ponti said.

City council cut funding toward landscaping on Crown land in the spring, particularly along highways, with the goal of convincing the province to pick up the job. Last month, council voted to look at funding the work again next year, partly because the province won’t do the job in landscaped planters.

The ministry of transportation would demand city-installed irrigation and plants be removed first before taking on the job, Coun. Nancy Bepple said.

Whatever city council eventually decides, Ponti said neighbourhood residents weren’t content to wait around.

“Government moves so slow, it’s agonizing,” he said. “The city sends an email and (the province) might respond a few months later. Before you know it, fall is gone, we’re heading into winter and nothing’s been done.”

Despite his exasperation with slow government action, he was happy to have seen residents come together and clean up a space that made the neighbourhood appear unkempt for the summer, adding that the amount of people who showed up helped make short work of the project.

They did not contact the city beforehand and hadn’t heard from city staff through the following week, but he did say a couple city councillors, Kelly Hall and Katie Neustaeter, showed up to help with the job.