Knowing who maintains which boulevard can be confusing. To help clarify the procedures on boulevard maintenance, we’ve put together this guide to help you determine who is responsible for a specific area.
What is a boulevard
A boulevard refers to the area of City-owned property located between the curb or edge of the road and the adjacent front or side property line of a home. These spaces typically feature grass and trees and may also include a sidewalk. It is the responsibility of homeowners to maintain the boulevard that borders their property.
City maintained boulevards
The City owns all of the boulevards in Winnipeg and only maintains the ones that meet the below criteria:
- Boulevards beside a regional street;
- Boulevards flanking properties along a regional street;
- Ditches where grass has never been planted;
- Boulevards at the rear of a property;
- Extended boulevards – meaning a boulevard that is at least 20 feet wide as measured from the roadway to the sidewalk or property line; whichever is closer
Homeowner maintained boulevards
Boulevards that are not maintained by the City are the responsibility of the adjacent homeowner to look after. All homes have a boulevard connected to the front of their property and depending on its location, a home can have multiple boulevards. For example, a home that is situated on a corner of a street will also have a side boulevard and homes with a backyard facing a collector road, will typically have a rear boulevard.
Although a boulevard may be bordering a resident’s property, they cannot own the land because services such as public water and sewer infrastructure lay beneath it.
Property owners are responsible for the following boulevard maintenance:
- Ensuring grass is no more than 15 cm (6 inches) high;
- Ensuring other vegetation, other than turf, is no more than 1.0 m (39 inches) high;
- Controlling noxious weeds (weeding and mowing);
- Keeping the boulevard free of garbage.
From the date of the lot purchase, these boulevards are the homeowners’ responsibility to maintain or enhance as per the City of Winnipeg’s Neighbourhood livability bylaw. To maintain a healthy boulevard, homeowners are encouraged to water the area, pull weeds by hand and only use government-approved herbicides when needed.
If you are a homeowner, please take a look at the City of Winnipeg’s frequently asked questions.
