Update

First impressions: the grass we leave uncut

Published October 2, 2026

Ask yourself a simple question. When you drive into a town you have never visited and the grass at the corners is over a foot tall, halfway up the signposts, the weeds are closing in on the walking trail, and nobody seems to have noticed, what happens to your first impression? You form a judgment before you have talked to a single person who lives there. That is how first impressions work, for a family passing through, for a doctor deciding where to practice, and for anyone thinking about investing or building here.

These were easy to find

Tall grass and weeds, over a foot high, growing uncut around a hydro pole and signposts at a street corner in Cochrane — A town boulevard gone to seed around the pole and the signs, fall 2026.

Brush and weeds crowding the wooden archway at the entrance to the Lake Commando boardwalk in Cochrane — The entrance to the Lake Commando boardwalk, fall 2026.

I took these photos around town this fall, and the honest truth is that finding them took no effort. These are spots where the grass and weeds look like they were left untouched all summer, and there are plenty more like them. One is a street corner where the boulevard has gone to seed around the hydro pole and the signs. The other is the entrance to the Lake Commando boardwalk, one of the prettiest walks we have, with the brush closing in on the archway. Uncut grass is among the most noticeable things in a town precisely because it is so simple to fix. Everyone who walks or drives past it sees it, every day, all season.

The standard the Town sets for the rest of us

It is worth knowing that the Town sets a clear standard for the rest of us. Under By-Law 1239-2017, the Cleaning and Clearing of Land By-Law, every owner must keep their land cleared, and “cleared” is defined to include removing weeds or grass more than 20 centimetres, about 8 inches, in height. The grass in the first photo is over a foot tall, well past the line the Town draws for private owners. If an owner does not comply, the Town can do the work itself, add a 15 percent administration fee with a $100 minimum, and collect the whole amount on the tax bill the same way it collects property taxes. The Property Standards By-Law, 646-2009, adds that every yard must be kept free of long grass, brush and undergrowth that may cause a hazard. These rules are actively enforced: the Building and By-Law Department reported to council in July 2025 that its officer continually monitors for issues like long grass and garbage and informs property owners.

I think those are reasonable rules, and most property owners in Cochrane meet them without ever being asked. A municipality that can mow your lawn and bill your taxes for it should be meeting its own standard on its own boulevards, parks and trail entrances.

This has been visible for a while

In August 2020 a resident wrote to council about the state of the park lands around Lake Commando, asking for trimming and for the weeds to be cleaned out of the planters. In his August 2026 video to the community, Mayor Politis himself described grass growing unmanaged in many places around town. And at the September 8, 2026 council meeting, the mayor brought a notice of motion calling the roundabout the front door to our beautiful town and proposing a makeover that would replace its grass with stone or paving, partly because of what the grass takes to maintain. He is right that the roundabout is a front door, and the front door extends well past it. Every entrance, corner and park a visitor drives by is part of it.

Why this is a low-cost fix

Here is why I keep calling this a low-cost problem. Mowing and trimming in a town this size has normally been summer student work. I know because I did it myself for two or three summers when I was younger: a mower, a trimmer, a list of locations and a schedule. That experience is probably why I see this as such an easy fix. The equipment already exists, the work is seasonal, and a student crew with a clear list can keep every spot in these photos presentable from May to September. The cost is small; what has been missing is the priority and the follow-through.

The people doing the work

None of this is a criticism of the people doing the work. Crews and students cut what they are scheduled to cut, and the workforce pressure on small northern municipalities is real. The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities published a release on exactly that challenge this September, and council received it. Setting the priority and funding the student positions is council’s job.

What I would push for

At the council table, I would push for the prioritization of town upkeep, and for the enforcement of the Town’s own bylaws.

Sources

If you spot something I have missed or got wrong, let me know and I will correct it. Corrections are noted below.

Updates and corrections

October 2, 2026. First published.

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