Thanks to hundreds of residents engaging with their councillors, going to consultations and completing on-line engagement, residents will now be allowed to plant edible plants in the boulevard in permanent garden structures without the need for a letter of permission. Plants are allowed to a height limit of 1m with certain setback criteria depending on whether there is a sidewalk.
These new permissions in the Use and Care of Roads By-law regarding the growth of food in residential boulevard (Right-of-Way) gardens were discussed on March 27th, 2025 the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.
Along with Just Food, For Our Kids, the Maitland Area Pollinator Project (MAPP) and Bird Friendly Ottawa, CAFES provided a public delegation supporting the growth of food in boulevards, residents being able to plant their own trees, prohibiting harmful chemicals, using native ground cover instead of grass, reconsidering the height limit of boulevard plants, and planting native perennials in ditches and slopes as a method for stormwater management.
At the committee meeting, we were pleased that Councillor Laine Johnson provided a motion about permitting low-maintenance native ground cover plant species instead of grass in the boulevard, and expressed her intent to include planting in ditches as an agenda item in the next Ditch Alterations Sponsors Group and priorities for having further conversation on this with the City View ditch project.
In addition, Councillor Laura Dudas provided a direction to staff to create a communications and outreach plan to inform residents on the risks of boulevard gardens including snow maintenance and city utilities, with the purpose to address concerns about resident complaints if gardens are impacted by city maintenance services, and so we don't run into issues of underground utilities and/or garden planters being damaged.
City Council will vote on these proposed updates on April 16th, 2025, and we are hoping for a Victory Garden victory!
See CAFES presentation below.
As a background, the boulevard is the city-owned portion of the front yard on a lot. The boulevard can account for a significant portion of the front yard space - in many areas in Ottawa, the boulevard can extend more than 15 feet away from the curb. Residents are expected to maintain this section of their property.
In 2023, the city passed amendments to the by-law to allow residents to plant and maintain gardens (instead of grass) along the city-owned boulevard abutting their property. At the time, gardens intended on growing food for consumption were not permitted, but staff were directed to conduct further review on the allowance of food, as well as planter boxes in boulevard gardens.
For more information and additional recommendations to the by-law, visit the following pages:
