The City of Ottawa is simplifying the process for volunteers to access insurance coverage for removing invasive plant species from the city’s green areas. Invasive species, such as Buckthorn, dog-strangling vine, and garlic mustard, pose threats to the local ecosystem as they are not native to North America.
Volunteers involved in eradicating these invasive plants can now establish stewardship agreements with the city’s forestry department. However, a requirement for such agreements is the possession of liability insurance. In response to a query by Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr, city officials have extended the option for groups with stewardship agreements to utilize Ottawa’s Community Partnership Insurance Program (CPIP), which offers liability coverage to community associations and gardens.
Carr highlighted that some groups prefer to engage in this environmental work independently without being affiliated with a community association. Recently, city staff informed councillors that organizations with stewardship agreements are now eligible to benefit from CPIP.
Individuals engaged in this environmental initiative shared with CBC that the new arrangement significantly reduces bureaucratic hurdles they previously faced. Michelle St-Germain, chair of the land restoration committee at the Alta Vista Community Association, mentioned that securing insurance through an association can be time-consuming and challenging for groups focusing on activities beyond the association’s core functions.
Under the updated regulations, groups like St-Germain’s will only need to apply once directly to the city, streamlining the process. This change has been lauded as a positive development by community members actively involved in environmental restoration efforts.
Lynne Patenaude, a volunteer with Ottawa South Eco Action Network (OSEAN), emphasized that time spent on administrative tasks detracts from the actual environmental work. Patenaude highlighted OSEAN’s tree planting project near Mooney’s Bay and expressed the organization’s interest in directly collaborating with the city to tackle invasive species.
The revisions to the insurance access process have been welcomed as a significant step forward by stakeholders like St-Germain, who believe it will encourage more participants to engage in environmental restoration activities. Carr indicated that city officials are working on further initiatives to enhance community involvement and streamline administrative procedures, with updates expected in the coming year.