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
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Quebec woman buys lotto ticket from daughter's store, wins $1 million
A woman from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Que. won $1 million in a Lotto 6/49 draw and she bought the ticket from her daughter's convenience store.