Oak Bay resident Anne Linton is concerned about a pesky plant found in many of the district’s parks.
“There is so much spear grass, it's really, really hard to avoid,” she said. “It's like a needle because it's that rigid, and it's very pointy.”
The weed, which grows long, stiff, barbed points that disperse narrow seeds, latch easily onto the fur, skin and paws of passing animals – sometimes causing pain and infection.
Linton, who had to pay $700 to have spear grass removed from one of her dog's ears, wants the district to do more to address plant's "prevalence" in Oak Bay.
“There doesn't seem to be any effort or recognition of the concern for the prevalence of spear grass,” she said. “What I would like to see is that Oak Bay would try to identify ... areas that have spear grass, remove them and ensure that any grass that they lay or seed doesn't have spear grass seeds in it."
Hayley Goodgrove, the district’s manager of communications, explained that, while Oak Bay doesn’t have a spear grass removal strategy, crews cut the plant back whenever they can.
“Our landscape practices include thorough mowing and trimming in all parks and municipally managed boulevards,” she said.
The manager noted, however, that spear grass can be difficult to control in some spots.
“Oak Bay has several natural areas that contain popular walking trails, which are managed through an approach that allows the vegetation to thrive in a more natural state,” she said. “Spear grass generally cannot be controlled in those areas without impacting native species.”
In 2024, the district’s parks services manager Chris Hyde-Lay told the Oak Bay News that “the resources needed would be substantial to get any semblance of control" over the weed's growth throughout the community – a task that would prove difficult, considering spear grass can spawn 500 seeds from a single blade.
“It’s so out of control that we don’t have the resources to manage it,” he added. “I hate to say that it’s here to stay, but it’s here to stay.”
Residents' worries about the weed, however, can be directed to the district.
“If a concern is raised regarding municipal property, staff will investigate and determine whether it is an area that can be addressed,” said Goodgrove. “While we cannot entirely remove spear grass, we do our best within our capacity to manage the issue.”
For dog owners, avoidance might be the best way to prevent against injured pets and costly vet bills. A factsheet from Saanich's parks, recreation and community services department breaks down a few ways to stay on top of spear grass.
"Stick to the trails and walk with your pet on a leash," it reads. "A good rule of thumb is, if you have grass seed in your socks after a walk, your dog likely has seed on/in its coat. Check your pet's paws, coat and eyes regularly from July to October after walks and look for signs of lesions or infection. If you do notice a swelling or cyst-like lump on your pet's body, it is recommended that you consult a veterinarian as soon as possible."
