The shrubs around the Prince George Law Courts are being replaced, keeping in mind recent safety concerns due to the type and size of the shrubs.
Because the shrubs were overgrown, there were reported incidents of people hiding in the bushes, as well as sleeping in them. Garbage and needles were also found accumulating in the shrubs, said Stewart Dillabough, with Always Green Irrigation and Landscaping, the company that has been hired to replace the shrubs.
"Bark mulch is very high maintenance, and decomposes quite quickly. So what tends to happen is a lot of garbage and needles and such start to build up underneath the shrubs," said Dillabough.
All the shrubs along Third Avenue, Queensway and Second Avenue started to be replaced last year, and Dillabough said should be finished within the next week or two.
"The site has become of age, so this is mostly just routine replacement," said Dillabough.
The work is part of a multiyear landscaping project that began in 2008, and also includes brick work along George Street. None of the trees around the courthouse are being replaced.
"Safety concerns have been taken into consideration when designing the landscaping," said Melody Wey, who works for the Ministry of Citizens' Services.
"Indigenous plants are part of the landscaping as well," she added.
The current shrubs were planted when the building was built in 1997.
The total cost of the landscaping project is set at $50,000, which includes the cost of replacing these shrubs.
