With fall rains coming in heavy waves Oak Bay asks residents to ‘adopt a catch basin’ even as leaf pickup is underway.
The annual program where the district collects residential leaves, left in neat piles on the boulevard, runs through Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 depending on the neighbourhood. The program is for leaves only.
Residents are asked to have piles on the boulevard anytime ahead of the last Monday within each area’s final pickup date. Using the boulevard is key, as leaves left on the road can block street storm drains and cause water issues or damage. According to the streets and traffic bylaw, residents who leave leaves in the roadway can face fines of $25 to a maximum of $10,000.
Cyclist safety, flood prevention, avoiding fines ... all reasons to keep the leaves off the road. https://t.co/uGDVJpQvm4 pic.twitter.com/uz9sMlbIuw
— C. van Reeuwyk (@van_reeuwyk) November 3, 2022
RELATED: Islanders brace for rainy November
With more rain falling, the district asks folks to keep an eye on the streets with its ‘adopt a catch basin’ campaign. They hope residents will ensure they’re not obstructed by leaves and debris, using a tool if necessary to clear the grates.
Last month was a wet one and November leans the same way according to statistics from weather stations that dot the community.
A total of 72 millimetres was measured at the Royal Victoria Yacht club last month. Last November was a whopping 218 mm with unprecedented rainfall across the province and out of the ordinary compared to the average (the station has been there since 2015) of 98.
St. Patrick’s Elementary tells a similar tale measuring 101 mm of rainfall in October and an average of 113 for November (that station was installed in 2007).
The localized information comes from the school-based weather station network that now includes several other sites up and down the Island. Find more data online at victoriaweather.ca.
Find the leaf collection map online at https://bit.ly/3T4sA1y.
christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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