Nanaimo debates joining municipalities that ban invasive species

Maryse Zeidler · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 23, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

The City of Nanaimo mightiness soon articulation a database of municipalities that prohibit the merchantability and organisation of invasive plants, successful lack of provincewide laws connected the matter. 

On Monday, metropolis councillors are scheduled to see a unit study that recommends a bylaw to prohibition circumstantial taxon connected the Invasive Species Council of B.C. (ISCBC)  list, including immoderate communal household vines and flowers similar English ivy, baby's enactment and foxgloves. 

"Over 60 per cent of our invasive plants are really intentionally planted," said Gail Wallin, ISCBC's enforcement director.

"So large work, large measurement forward."

The study says invasive plants tin harm the environment, quality wellness and adjacent the economy. 

"They tin thrive connected onshore and successful aquatic environments and tin interaction biodiversity and earthy habitats," according to the report. 

"Since the plants are introduced, they person constricted earthy predators and thin to turn rapidly, out-compete autochthonal plants, and tin beryllium challenging to negociate adjacent with a semipermanent approach."

Invasive plants tin harm infrastructure, change h2o flows and go occurrence hazards, according to the report.

It besides states that provincial regulations similar the Weed Control Act person outdated taxon lists and small effectual means of enforcement, but the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has been reviewing existent authorities regarding the merchantability of invasive plants and their seeds successful B.C.

Other municipalities with akin prohibitions see Squamish and Oak Bay. 

"There is simply a request for stronger provincial regularisation connected on invasive species," Wallin agreed. 

Many invasive plants tin beryllium recovered astatine nurseries crossed B.C., wherever they're sold connected their ain oregon arsenic portion of ornamental baskets, she said.

Worries astir implementation

Walter Pinnow, operations coordinator astatine Green Thumb Nursery successful Nanaimo, said his workplace doesn't merchantability invasive plants — adjacent though immoderate customers inactive inquire for them. 

"We conscionable had a lawsuit asking america for foxglove the different day," Pinnow said, adding people often inquire for chickory, a works with small bluish flowers commonly seen connected the broadside of B.C. highways.

Gardeners don't ever cognize that galore of the flowers they spot are really invasive, Pinnow said.

He supports the study and the instauration of a bylaw to prohibition the merchantability of invasive plants, but said helium worries astir however it would beryllium regulated oregon enforced. 

"Who's going to instrumentality it? Is it going to beryllium self-controlled by the industry?" 

Pinnow besides cautioned the metropolis to database plants nether their due Latin names if the bylaw does spell through, to guarantee that plants that are sometimes categorized nether their communal names aren't included — similar ivy.