Anyone walking through Centennial Park in Dollard-des-Ormeaux (DDO) can be forgiven for thinking vandals have sprayed orange paint on some of the bushes. The city has painted poison ivy bushes neon orange to keep visitors to the park from touching the rash-inducing plants.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux residents that Global News spoke to praised the decision almost universally, especially with summer weather affording West Islanders a few more weeks before fall takes over.
The park has visible poison ivy vines all over the trails that weave through the woods.
Poison ivy can be identified without the paint by looking for green vines with three-leaf clusters, cream-to-greenish yellow berries and flowers that appear in June or July.
Pet owners are perhaps the most vulnerable — because even though a dog can’t contract the rash from poison ivy, they can transmit the rash to people who pet them.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux has a “Green Line” where residents can get tips and information on a wide variety of topics, including poison ivy. The reach the hotline dial 514-684-3114.