M.D. of Taber approves third reading of Kochia Bylaw

By Cole Parkinson
Vauxhall Advance
cparkinson@tabertimes.com

With warmer weather coming to the area, the Municipal District of Taber has brought back discussion around a bylaw that would see Kochia become a noxious weed. After moving first and second reading last year, the bylaw was brought back for third reading at council’s regular meeting held on March 22. The bylaw has received the appropriate approval and signature from ministers of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Economic Development to proceed with third reading.

“Initially, I was quite concerned about adding another noxious weed that the province hasn’t added to their list,” said Deputy Reeve Tamara Miyanaga. “My question is, is it not added (by the provincial government) because they’re not ready to open the act and it takes a big amount of work to do that?”

Administration explained to council the previous history of Kochia in the M.D. They explained it originally was a noxious weed under their bylaws, but due to provincial changes with the Weed Act, Kochia wasn’t resubmitted by the M.D. until now.

“At the M.D. of Taber, Kochia was elevated prior to the changing of the Weed Act back in the 2005 era, somewhere in there. When the Weed Act was upgraded and renewed with tremendous amounts of changes, each municipality needed to reintroduce those invasive species or weeds that they had elevated previously because everything got voided with the changing of the Weed Act,” explained Jason Bullock, director of Ag Services.

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