NDG residents not impressed at lack of lawn care in parks

"No mow May" has turned into "no mow June" in some parks in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood, and some residents are not happy.

"Municipal parks are in a terrible state frankly," said NDG resident Suzanne Villeneuve. "It looks like, as you can see, an abandoned lot."

Villeneuve is one of those furious that the parks are allowed to grow fallow while the same lack of maintenance would not be allowed in their own yards.

People living in NDG said, for example, that the grass in Warren Allmand Park (formerly called Somerled) has not been mowed all year.

The grass reaches Villeneuve's knees. She and many of her neighbours have called the city multiple times to complain.

"We don't understand how it's possible that a park such as this one, where children play families have picnics, has not been maintained," she said.

Some, however, are not disappointed that the grass has been allowed to grow.

"I think it's good for biodiversity," said resident David Harvey. "It's good for animal and insect life. It doesn't really bother people."

The Cote-des-Neiges--Notre-Dame-des-Grace (CDN-NDG) borough refused CTV News' request for an interview but sent a statement saying that mowing gradually began on May 1.

The borough said that while most parks are fully mowed, it is aware of the situation in some parks and has asked the public works department to present a remedial plan.

After CTV News visited the park on Saturday, Villeneuve said city crews showed up at 8:15 p.m. but stopped working because neighbours complained about the noise.

Half of the park is currently mowed.

Villeneuve said the situation is ridiculous given the City of Montreal's own standards.

According to Montreal, residential lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.

"I don't understand how the city can just let go of its own parks when the citizens would be liable for fines if they didn't maintain their property like this," said Villeneuve.