Beauharnois | A garden too “disorderly” for the city’s taste

(Beauharnois) A citizen could have to pay a fine of $200 to $2,000 because the fruit bushes in his garden are “growing in a disorderly manner.” The City of Beauharnois has sent him two “nuisance” notices on this subject.

A bee lands on a large pink flower and begins to pollinate it. Above her, the branch of a tree bends under the weight of the dozens of pears it carries. A few steps away, a bird flies off from a small shrub.

“Here is my land, with all the ‘pests’ I have!” says Frédérick Brossoit, laughing.

Rows of trees laden with fruit ready to be picked, between which wind paths lined with flowers of all colors: his garden is, to say the least, atypical. Located in a residential area of ​​Beauharnois, it stands out next to those of his neighbors.

Walking among his trees and shrubs, Frédérick Brossoit lists the many varieties of fruit he grows — and this, for pleasure, in addition to his work in water treatment. Here, a blackcurrant bush. There, a Prunus pumilawhich produces small black cherries. Again, an Asian pear tree.

He lifts a branch of an apple tree to allow us to pass.

Several nuisance notices

But that doesn’t seem to be to everyone’s taste. The City of Beauharnois sent her two nuisance notices in July. She said she had noticed during inspections that “various shrubs are not maintained and are growing in a disorderly manner” on her property.

Joined by The Press In this regard, the City explained by email that it had acted following a complaint it received.

In the first notice, Mr. Brossoit was given a period of about ten days to remedy the situation. In the second, the City indicated that it had found that the land “was still not properly maintained,” granting him an additional seven days and adding that a fine could be issued “in the absence of [se] comply with this notice”.

The City indicated to The Press that the amount of this fine could be between $200 and $2,000. But “there is no question of a fine for the moment, because we favor dialogue and collaboration with the citizen,” said Chloé Daoust, communications advisor for the City of Beauharnois.

“The Fruit Rebellion”

Frédérick Brossoit has been involved in urban orchard projects for nearly 30 years — and he has been doing so here, in Beauharnois, for 13 years.

“This is my laboratory,” he explains.

He estimates that his garden produces so much that it could feed four to six people a year. Living alone, he distributes his fruits around him, but also his seeds and his knowledge to multiply plants through a group called “La Rébellion fruitière”.

The goal? To allow anyone with land to start an orchard, to become self-sufficient in three to six years. “And it’s free,” he emphasizes.

“Wacky” recommendations?

During his various visits, a city inspector reportedly gave him recommendations for complying with the requirements for maintaining his garden.

Bushes should be pruned into a ball shape, herbaceous plants should not exceed 30 centimetres and woody plants (such as shrubs, among others) should not exceed 60 inches. Recommendations that Mr. Brossoit describes as “crazy”.

“My reality is so different from other people’s,” he says with a sigh.

“We are not asking citizens to cut plants to a certain height, but only to maintain those that grow in disorder,” said Chloé Daoust.

The city noted a “significant improvement” in the maintenance of the land since its last visit in mid-July. “A planning officer will go to the site next week to validate whether the work carried out meets the requested adjustments,” added Chloé Daoust.

For his part, Mr. Brossoit expressed his incomprehension regarding these inspections, while ragweed is growing right up to the edge of the sidewalk on the property of a neighboring residence.

“I’m not here to wage war. I love my city, I just want to collaborate. But I would like society to evolve a little more towards that,” he emphasizes, pointing to his garden with a gesture of his hand.