Operation Ragweed progressing in Pincourt

Achoo! While autumn may be welcome for many, the season also signals a period of sneezing discomfort for many in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area.

Thankfully, due to some provincial government funding and eradication efforts in some local towns, one of the area’s primary allergen-producing culprits is actively being controlled. If you are a local seasonal-allergy sufferer (and there are many) you know only too well that pollen often wreaks havoc on your enjoyment of the warmer seasons. Those that suffer know the symptoms only too well: itching nose and eyes; congestion and wheezing; tearing and running nose; repeated sneezing and coughing are just a few examples.

Efforts to provide relief continue over in Pincourt. You may recall that back in May I wrote that the town had received a grant from the province of $32,910 for control of ragweed on it’s territory, a good thing under a provincial ragweed-control program, with other municipalities receiving funds to do the same. At the time, Soulanges MNA Lucie Charlebois and Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols announced projects supported and amounts allocated for elimination of ragweed to four municipalities in the Montérégie region, for a total of $ 116,335.

Pincourt has recently provided the following update on its ragweed-reduction strategy, dubbed Operation Ragweed. The update details Phase 2 efforts as it responds to citizen concerns regarding the allergen-producing weed.

Phase 1 was meant to raise public awareness. In June, local school principals met to set up an

awareness campaign and establish a pollen allergen control partnership. It seemed a natural choice to involve children and their parents to create a collaborative and educational relationship. In September, information sessions will be presented to students at Pincourt’s four schools.

Phase 2 called for the spraying of eco-friendly products and uprooting. Since July, a threeperson team has been digging up and cutting down ragweed in the town’s various public spaces. Ecological product spraying was also done to control ragweed on sidewalks, road shoulders and roadways.

Phase 3 is the collecting of pollen data. Two pollen sensors were installed in the city to collect data. These tools are used to count ragweed pollen grains and determine their origin. In short, the sensors show whether or not ragweed pollination is progressing.

Pincourt plans to continue its ragweed operation over the next three years.

Did you know that Ambrosia (ragweed) reaches its full size in August when it becomes allergenic? Ragweed seeds can remain in the soil for up to 40 years, hence the importance of removing it when it begins to flower. This plant is responsible for allergic rhinitis, which affects one in 10 people each year, from mid-July until the first autumn frost.

If you spot ragweed on your own property, get rid of it. Consult the fact sheet (in French) produced by the Direction de la santé publique de la Montérégie.