Winnipeg’s boulevards are a defining feature of our city. These strips of grass between the sidewalk and street add beauty, character, and numerous environmental benefits to our neighbourhoods. But you’re probably wondering, who’s responsible for taking care of them? The short answer is, it depends. This guide clearly outlines boulevard care do’s and don’ts for Winnipeg homeowners.
Your Boulevard Responsibilities
Did you know, since 1992 Winnipeg homeowners are responsible for taking care of the boulevard in front of their home? As outlined by The City of Winnipeg, it’s helpful to know what your boulevard responsibilities include:
- Mowing: If your boulevard is less than 20 feet wide, you are responsible for mowing your boulevard throughout the growing season. You must keep your grass no more than 15 cm or 6 inches tall.
- Litter & Garbage: Keeping the boulevard free of garbage. Properties must be maintained so that litter, refuse or other debris do not accumulate and become unsightly.
- Trimming: Keep other vegetation shorter than one metre tall. Trim bushes and trees on the boulevard to keep them from overhanging onto the sidewalk or street.
- Weeds: Control noxious weeds. Remove weeds from your boulevard to prevent them from becoming a nuisance and unpleasant.
- Animal Waste: Homeowners are also responsible for picking up after their pets. Boulevards must be free from any accumulation of dog or animal wastes.
The City’s Boulevard Responsibilities
Now that we have covered what you are responsible for when it comes to boulevards, what is The City’s role? Believe it or not, The City of Winnipeg is responsible for a few aspects of boulevard maintenance:
- Mowing grass on boulevard that are over 20 feet wide.
The City’s Weed Control responsibilities for boulevards includes:
- Boulevards beside a Regional (P1) street – Address Lookup Tool
- Boulevards flanking properties beside a regional street
- Ditches where grass has never been planted
- Boulevards at the rear of a property
- Extended boulevards – meaning a boulevard that is at least 20 feet wide as measured from the roadway to the sidewalk or property line.
Boulevard Fines in Winnipeg
So what if you don’t mow your Winnipeg boulevard, and let it become dishevelled with overgrown weeds and excessive growth? Well, you could be fined! Let’s break down the boulevard fine range for you (from a Global News article in 2027):
Base Fine: $107 CAD flat fee, plus $77 CAD per hour for work billed by public works.
Maximum Fine: a judge can impose up to a $1,000 CAD fee.
Boulevard Standards: What Can You Do With Your Boulevard?
The City of Winnipeg is not super clear on what you are allowed to do with your boulevard. But I did find this on The City of Winnipeg’s website:
“Residents can plant, landscape or otherwise decorate boulevards. The City has guidelines for non-standard boulevard treatments. Residents whose project will follow the guidelines do not need a permit.”
This is great news, but they never actually list these allowable, non-standard boulevard guidelines. From reading the City’s website, I did read that you can:
- Plant above ground planting beds.
Boulevard Non-Standards: What You Can’t Do With Your Boulevard?
The city of Winnipeg’s website doesn’t specifically tell us what homeowners are allowed to do with boulevard’s besides the above quote, but it of course lists what homeowners aren’t allowed to do with boulevards:
- A project can’t interfere with driver or pedestrian sightlines, cars on the road or people on the sidewalk.
- Projects cannot harm trees or tree roots.
- Access must be maintained to:
- Fire hydrants
- All City of Winnipeg, Manitoba Hydro, and Bell MTS infrastructure and equipment
- Canada Post mail hubs
- Snow clearing equipment must be able to safely operate. There must also be space for snow storage on the boulevard if required.
- Residents cannot create or wide a private approach (to do so, the resident must take out a permit).
- The boulevard must be graded to prevent water from pooling and ponding. Rainwater and snow must have a path to flow from the edge of the right of way into the street drain.
- Residents cannot plant fruits, vegetables, noxious weeds, or toxic and poisonous plants. Examples of prohibited plants include angel’s trumpet, black nightshade, castor bean, climbing nightshade, leafy spurge, and water hemlock).
- Nothing other than sod can be planted within one metre of the curb and .5 metres of the City sidewalk.
- Features must not weigh more than 10 kg or grow to be more than one metre in height.
- Stones or other aggregate materials must be between 20 mm and 40 mm in diameter.
- Designs cannot include any concrete or asphalt, apart from at-grade paving stones.
- Residents must have their neighbours sign a written agreement if the project extends beyond their own property’s boulevard.
Guidelines for Larger Boulevard Project Development
To protect underground utilities, Winnipeg residents must obtain clearance from the Click Before You Dig program before digging anything on their boulevard. As an alternative around this digging requirement, consider creating above-ground garden beds.
There are other boulevard permits and requirements for extensive developing, digging or planting projects that I won’t get into here. So be sure to check out the city’s Planning, Development, and Maintenance Boulevard Guideline before starting a large boulevard project.
Why Does Boulevard Care Matter?
We have gone over all the “legal” do’s and don’t, but is there more? Boulevard care is more than just keeping up appearances and following city by-laws to avoid fines. Here are some reasons how a healthy boulevard can improve your life and property:
- Reduced stormwater runoff: Healthy boulevards with established root systems help absorb rainwater, reducing runoff and preventing flooding.
- Cooler temperatures: Trees and other vegetation on boulevards provide shade, helping to cool the city during hot summer months.
- Increased property values: Studies have shown that homes on streets with well-maintained boulevards tend to have higher property values.
- Habitat for wildlife: Boulevards provide vital habitat for pollinators, birds, and other small creatures.
- Improved air quality: Boulevards act as natural filters, absorbing dust and pollutants from the air.
Your boulevard is more than just a strip of grass between your property and the street. It’s a vital part of our community. By tending to your boulevard you’re contributing to a greener, healthier Winnipeg. Imagine our city where every home boasts a beautiful, thriving greenspace! Together, we can transform our neighbourhoods into vibrant, welcoming spaces that everyone can enjoy.
Boulevard Care Resources
- The City of Winnipeg’s Boulevard webpage (with permit info: https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/parks/boulevards.stm#weedcontrol
- The City of Winnipeg’s Community Garden webpage: https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/parksOpenSpace/CommunityGardens/default.stm
- The City of Winnipeg’s Gardening webpage: https://guides.wpl.winnipeg.ca/gardening
Additional Tips
- Get Involved In Your Community: There are a number of community groups in Winnipeg that are dedicated to lawn care. Getting involved in one of these groups is a great way to learn more about boulevard beautification tips and meet other people who are interested in keeping Winnipeg green and vibrant.
- Community Gardens: Winnipeg community gardens can transform empty lots into green, living spaces. Neighbourhoods often experience a positive environmental, economic, and social impact from community gardens. For more information see Winnipeg’s Community Gardens & Guidelines webpage.
- Gardening: To know more about gardening in Winnipeg and the city’s gardening guidelines, see the City of Winnipeg’s Garden webpage.
- Consider A Professional: If you don’t know how to beautify your boulevard, don’t have time to maintain it, or can’t seem to get rid of pesky weeds, consider hiring a lawn care professional.