It just makes me sad. Had to share!
She said since her husband died so she likes to bring joy to herself and the neighbourhood…
full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sidewalk-sunflowers-bylaw-violation-1.7623058
"Saskatoon resident Claire Ernewein-Schouten says she only ever planted one "little, ornamental sunflower" just outside her gate four years ago.
Since then, tall, healthy yellow flowers have blossomed all over her yard in the Rosewood neighbourhood and — this year — in a small crack of dirt between the sidewalk and the curbside in front of her home.
But the sunflowers have drawn the ire of the City of Saskatoon. Ernewein-Schouten received a bylaw violation notice saying the sunflowers must go by Wednesday, with the penalty of a $250 fine if they're not removed by then.
"I think it's a very unique feature of our neighbourhood," Ernewein-Schouten said.
"People enjoy it and they enjoy these sunflowers. Even strangers walking by, that maybe don't even live on the crescent, have commented on how much they like them," she said.
Once Ernewein-Schouten got the bylaw notice asking her to "remove all flowers and plants," she said she let her neighbours know, inviting them to come help themselves to flowers for bouquets.
Ernewein-Schouten said this is the first year that sunflowers have grown in that crack. She noticed the little plants in the spring and left them alone, only weeding around them, she said. "
click link for full article.
People allegedly complained the flowers are causing visibility issues and accessibility issues on the sidewalk.
by Maya2040
4 Comments
People love to needlessly complain and ruin other’s joy.
this is an ada issue. she has perfectly good ground on the other side of the sidewalk for these plants.
There are things to fight for but this isn’t it. Sidewalks should be clear. Trying to push a stroller of groceries home through places like this was maddening when we were in school and didn’t have a car, and wheelchairs aren’t much more fun.
Sometimes we get so used to people being meaninglessly small-minded on a topic that we become primed to start a fight on anything that seems similar without really thinking about whether they might have a valid point or perspective we should consider.
Seems odd that a resident adjacent to a sidewalk (public road right of way; not private property) had city apply a bylaw infraction here.
Typically if there is a safety issue on public property the city should deal with it (as in, send the labour crew out to cut them down). Would be curious to know what bylaw the resident violated. I am not saying it’s not an issue; it just shouldn’t be pinned on the adjacent property owner if they truly just naturally came into the space.