RUNNING WIld
Cont'd from page 101
Great rates
Mortgages rates are at an all time low and fi nancing an MHBA
member new built home has never been more affordable.
Now is a great time to build.
"Every once in a while, we may have to do a burn around
planned wetlands because, historically, we would have
had a fire on the Prairies," Ross says.
Long-term maintenance over five years is at about one
fifth of what traditional landscaping costs after estab-
lishment. There is no requirement to pull nuisance plants
from the water, and because the natural grass is longer,
geese do not congregate and foul the adjacent areas.
Qualico Communities vice-president of community de-
velopment Eric Vogan is an enthusiastic supporter of
constructed wetlands.
"Basic sustainability is nothing more than economics
and by the mid- to late-'90s the city was starting to say
we certainly have enough new playing fields and parks,"
says Vogan.
"We thought, 'Let's not go create things that cost the munici-
pality money and cause financial harm for the community by
having to replace sidewalks that aren't necessary or are hard to
maintain, or cut more grass than we need,' " he says.
When Vogan first explored the idea of constructed wetlands,
it became apparent that sustainable stormwater management
brought a lot of other benefits.
"When I saw the clarity of the water resulting from the wetlands
that native Plant Solutions did, I thought, 'This really works!' "
he says.
Assiniboine Landing was the first neighbourhood Qualico built
with wetlands and it has embraced the concept in communi-
ties from Pritchard Farm Southlands Village to Sage Creek,
which boasts many acres of wetlands, with an abundance of
native grasses and walking trails.
Cont'd on page 104
102 Parade of Homes Spring 2016
