Hoping to attack weeds that’ve taken hold along Parkinson Road in Port Renfrew, Mike Hicks and Fire Chief Dan Kuzman are organizing a group of volunteers to clean up the town’s roadway on Thursday.
Hicks, who represents the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area on the Capital Regional District board, said he’s made numerous requests to have the one-kilometre road mowed by Emcom Services, responsible for highway maintenance.
Parkinson Road has no sidewalks, and the weed growth forces pedestrians to walk on the pavement.
“The highway is beyond dangerous for pedestrians, and we can’t wait any longer,” Hicks said.
Emcom Services division manager Stewart Westwood said Port Renfrew roads are scheduled to be mowed this summer, but there’s a concern with hogwood, a toxic and invasive weed.
Emcom Services is working with B.C. government officials to see the best way to handle the plant.
“What we don’t want to do is spread the species,” Westwood said. “It’s very toxic at the seed stage.
“The fear is you get it on the mower head and you’ll carry it up the highway. It gets everywhere.”
The Parkinson Road clean up starts at noon. Volunteers meet at the Port Renfrew Firehall, 6637 Deering Rd.
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