The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

LQSWSun-Wlmmsm 11,2008 t *' mm.» “.2. .‘ ; Mmmmmof memmm Mwwmmmlty. Register online WW." or at Foundation office We Markham Fomddion 54 Parkway Avenue Markham, ON L3? 204 (905) 472-4779 Memo. 3m wummmmmnmmmmufi mV-u-ehauuummmmmmwm. mmmmmmhmm W‘MHoputollreddmemrhCmdalsyunm mWM;mkSept¢mber3o,Mwflhlhednwtouke mamzmmmpmmmmmm fluwmwmonthhm ' GRIFFIN JEWELLERY DESIGNS 3000 HWY 7 EAST, UNIT 109, MARKHAM NorthEutcoma'ofWoodbinemdn,MichaelAngelo’scenm 905-944-8313 Name: Province: Address: I, . .sIMON G.” _ lSKTpGVOLD HAND CRAFTED ‘ PIECEOF JEWELLERY ‘ Tel: i HOGWEED? A possible hogweed sighting as phbtographed at Mussel- man’s Lake this summer. There were multiple reports. BY ALYSHIA HIGGINS A large weed has sparked huge concerns at Mussel- man’s Lake. The resident e-mailed the president of the Musselman’s Lake Residents Association, who contacted Councillor Phil Bannon. A giant hogweed was allegedly spotted growing on Churchill Beach property by a resident, who had seen a story about the weed on tele- vision. Mr. Bannon said within hours, town staff were on site removing the potentially dangerous plant. The area was also sprayed for any roots that were The next day, a similar looking plant was spotted on Churchill Beach Road, just east of Ninth Line. Town staff returned to the area, dug up and removed the weed, and sprayed the area once again. So far, no other sightâ€" ings of the giant weed have been reported, although there were sightings on the Whitchurch-Stouffville/ Uxbridge border last month. for an: missed. Regional health officials. noting hogweed is rarely found in York Region, can't confirm if it was the plant. The weed was removed before they could take a look and photos were inconclu- sive. Iames Lane, a forester with York Region, said the weed is often mistaken for another similar looking but less dangerous plant called cow parsnip. “Cow parsnip is comâ€" monly found in same areas York Region forester says similar to giant hogweed,’ he said. ‘Of all the calls I've ever received (regarding potenâ€" tial hogweed), they’ve all turned out to be cow pars- nip. I haven't come across it yet.’ The giant hogweed origi- nated in Asia, and made its way to Ontario more than two decades ago. The weed, which can grow up to five metres high, is most easily identified by its purple stalk and white flowers. While it may look harm- less, the sap from the leaves and stem of the plant causes skin to be photosensitive. After contact with the giant weed, exposure to sunlight can cause severe, blisters, burns and lesions. Contact with the eyes can result in temporary or per manent blindness. “I think its great we have this level of communicaâ€" tion.” Mr. Bannon said. “In this case here, it shows how well we can work together and address the concerns of the community and I cerâ€" tainly like to thank the resiâ€" dents for doing that." ‘ Mr. Bannon also encourâ€" ages residents to (.‘dm‘au' themselves on the plant and keep an eye out. “When walking through the woods and the beach area, if they do see ono of these. be very careful and keep their children away from the plant," ho said. adding residents should (‘all the town if they think they found one. D Go to townofws.com for more information. PHOTO COURTESY PHIL BANNON