I have received a few form emails now on the topic of Community Standards and how they apply to our front lawns. I appreciate hearing from everyone who is concerned about our environment and is working on solutions that are non-traditional.

This was the content of the email:
Dear Candidates,

As you campaign for the October election, I ask: Will you commit to reforming St. Albert’s bylaws to protect sustainable landscapes like clover lawns?

Current rules punish residents for eco-yards that save water (30%+ less irrigation), support pollinators, and reduce chemical use—directly contradicting our Environmental Master Plan. Prince Edward County’s 2023 reforms show the solution: allowing naturalized front yards without height limits, exempting beneficial species like clover, and focusing enforcement on true invasives.

If elected, will you:
1. Exempt intentional eco-yards from 15cm height restrictions?
2. Permit naturalized front yards?
3. Create a “Sustainable Landscaping Permit” system?

Voters like me prioritize environmental leadership. I will support candidates who champion these science-backed reforms.

I am very much in support of eco and naturalized yards.

If elected, I commit to working toward a change in bylaws that realistically allow naturalized and non-turf solutions for front yards. The need to conserve water is more important today than a beautiful lawn. The need to ensure we have a sustainable source of pollen and nectar for the bees and other pollinators. I have a clover-seeded lawn that I am working on replacing with creeping Thyme and possibly Purslane for my ground cover. I have seeded micro clover and do not water my lawn. I water my vegetable garden only, and I am working on a sustainable, extensive rain storage system for this purpose.

Your question, as asked in this email, is not directly answerable, as one elected candidate cannot do any of the following:

1. Exempt intentional eco-yards from 15cm height restrictions?
2. Permit naturalized front yards?
3. Create a “Sustainable Landscaping Permit” system?

I can, however, advocate for the above; I can put forward motions while working with city staff to find the best solutions. Then I can work to convince other council members to support the proposed changes.

I do not support responses from staff that say we picked a number because other communities have the same. I want to know why that number is selected. 15 centimetres is equivalent to 6 inches. If we go back to the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, we see pictures of people with these wonderful, manicured lawns. Times change, and so must the bylaws and rules.

A big part of the change will need to be education. Getting mad and frustrated is a natural reaction, we will need to convince our citizens, handfuls at a time, of the benefits and beauty of xeriscaping.

Kevin Malinowski

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