To maintain federal standards, weed and grass control is planned along the Waterloo Spur Rail Line between Breithaupt Street in Kitchener and First Street South in Elmira, excluding the section between King Street North and Northfield Drive West.

The work will take place on August 20, at 10 p.m. until August 21 at 6 a.m. In case of rain, the work will start on August 21. The Waterloo Spur Line Trail, between Breithaupt Street and King Street South and The Farmer’s Market Trail, between Northfield Drive West to Farmer’s Market Road, will be closed during this time. Signs will be posted to notify trail users.

This section will be treated with a low concentration herbicide. The weed control mixture will be applied with a specialty vehicle that prevents overspray. The remaining grass and weeds outside the area will be maintained with mowing equipment at a later date.

Herbicides Being Applied

The following herbicides will be applied by MVM Rail. These substances have been evaluated and approved by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

Milestone Herbicide Herbicide Reg. # 28517, Active Ingredients AMINOPYRALID and TRIISOPROPANOLAMINE SALT SOLUTION, Under the Pest Controls Act (Canada).

Vegetation control required along railways

Transport Canada requires the Region of Waterloo to maintain tracks to federal safety standards by eliminating vegetation on the railway tracks. Grass, weeds and other plants can impede railway safety in a few ways:

• Plants growing over the tracks can cause slipping, which causes a train to take longer to stop.
• Dry plants can catch fire.
• Deterioration of the rail tracks is expedited when surrounded by plants and the moisture they contain. The roots can also upheave railway ties.
• Plants make it very difficult to inspect the tracks for potential problems.

If you have any questions about this information, please contact Austin Louwagie at 519-897-8673 or alouwagie@regionofwaterloo.ca.