Petition

Petition in Support of Native Plant Gardens and By-law Reform

The City of Toronto is promoting environmental gardens to help make Toronto greener and healthier, to eliminate dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, to reduce the use of water resources, to minimize polluted stormwater runoff into Lake Ontario, and to return nature to our city.

Native plant gardens support Toronto's recently-adopted CLIMATE CHANGE, CLEAN AIR & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACTION PLAN, which asks citizens and businesses to "Take action in their own neighbourhoods in areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, local food production, water conservation, tree planting, green roofs, compact fluorescent lighting, downspout disconnection, and the use of native plants."

Despite this and recent court rulings strongly affirming citizens' constitutional rights to tend natural gardens on both their private property and on City road allowances adjacent to their properties, not all City departments are onside or acting in accordance with these important initiatives. Environmental gardens have been, and still are, subject to extreme measures by City staff responding to complaints, and gardeners are being harassed by uninformed neighbours who do not recognize the importance of natural gardens to the environmental well being and health of our city.

It's time for Toronto to update its policies and bylaws which are discouraging the cultivation of natural gardens. Please sign the petition below to urge the City of Toronto to update its bylaws to support and encourage natural gardens.

I, the undersigned, ask that the City (staff, departments, Council) review and update their departmental policies and bylaws in order to ensure environmental gardens are actively promoted, supported, and not subject to unwarranted harassment, regulation and destruction.

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