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Jackie Waddell, Council member here. I came into town from the west on my usual commute the other day, and part of my drive was behind and then beside a pick up pulling a flatbed trailer. On that low, open trailer was a load of un-secured Japanese Knotweed – garden waste. Many will know that Japanese Knotweed can reproduce, and usually does, vegetatively. Short pieces of the plant can grow into new plants. This material was last years stems – but may have contained viable material. All the way along University Avenue bits of this highly invasive plant was falling off this trailer. Vehicles passing by were moving those bits into the grassy areas by the University and along the creek that flows to the west and into Ellen’s Creek. Further down University it would be falling off near the Experimental Farm and after that who knows.

First, this load should have been secured – no matter what it was.

Secondly, this material could have been left in a clear bag beside the black cart on pick up day. Once marked as invasive plant material it is destined for incineration. Not spread all over Charlottetown.

Please dispose of invasive plant material correctly – check out the Island Waste Management Corp. web site for information on what to do.

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