For many years, our family has been cultivating habitat – a thriving community of plants including New England aster, Canada goldenrod, milkweed, buttercups, yarrow, burdock, and many more. Frequent visitors include monarch butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, blue jays, chickadees, and dragonflies.
In our suburban neighbourhood, we have been targeted and harassed for daring to have a yard that looks “different” from the norm. The City of Burlington bylaw department has forcibly mowed our garden to the ground.
The City is now taking us to court for the offence of growing a naturalized garden. We are fighting the case on constitutional grounds and we aim to set a strong precedent in support of Canadians’ rights to freedom of expression through gardening.
A growing number of environmentally minded Canadians are prevented from naturalizing their yards due to bad bylaws and unwarranted enforcement. Challenging the constitutionality and legal application of these bylaws will allow the freedom for Canadians to foster ecologically sound landscapes, support pollinators, and safeguard biodiversity.
Please donate to this precedent-setting legal challenge to allow Canadians the right to protect nature on our own yards.
