Langford considers ending artificial turf program on city boulevards
Langford city council will soon vote on whether to keep installing artificial turf along city boulevards, or go back to using sod.
Some think installing artificial turf along several of Langford’s boulevards was a brilliant idea.
"I think it’s the greatest thing ever invented for boulevards," said resident John Meredith.
Joan Traversy also thinks it looks good.
"I think it looks better than dead grass in the middle of summer," said Traversy.
But others believe it looks a bit tacky.
"It just looks fake," said Dylan Ringma. "You can tell it’s turf."
"Just grow grass," said local Arten Hryvtsov.
In 2017, Langford began laying down turf along some of its boulevards "with the idea that it would save the city and developers money," said Scott Goodmanson, the mayor of Langford.
According to a new Langford staff report, since the city began using the artificial grass, that has not been the case.
"It’s possibly going to cost much more because it eventually wears out and it has to be completely replaced," said Goodmanson.
The maintenance of the turf has turned out to be much more expensive than expected.
"There’s lots of areas that you can see garbage buildup, you can see weeds poking through, and repairs aren’t cheap," said the mayor.
The City of Langford incentivized the turf pilot project, paying 65 per cent of costs to install them, leaving developers to pay the remaining 35 per cent.
Costs for turf has now increased by 64 per cent since the program started.
The study shows the anticipated savings have not been met, and that turf is bad for the environment.
Langford council will vote on Monday night to either continue to install the turf going forward, or go back to sod.
Either way, what isn’t on the table is what to do with the turf that has already been installed.
"If we reverted back to sod, this is step one, and we’ll worry about step two at that point further down the road," said Goodmanson.
Artificial turf is pictured along Constellation Avenue in Langford, B.C. (CTV News)
Feelings are mixed from Langford residents.
"Oh I hope not," said Meredith. "I hope they continue with the project."
"I think that the actual grass looks nicer and it just looks better," said resident Savannah Stone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.