Latest news with #groundskeepers


CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Winnipeg athletic fields may need to be shut down due to burrowing squirrels
Squirrels are free to keep tunnelling through Winnipeg fields, much to the detriment of groundskeepers and city council alike. At its Friday meeting, the city's community services committee learned the province's recent decision to deny the city a permit to use sulphur gas to control squirrel populations marked the first time one of its pesticide applications was given the red light. 'The province said we didn't consider alternatives enough,' said David Domke, parks and open space manager with the city. The city wanted to use the pesticide, called Giant Destroyer, to eradicate ground squirrels from a number of Winnipeg athletic fields, which it said pose a safety risk through the tunnels they create. City officials told the committee they have continued to research what can be done to stop the rodents from burrowing any more. 'We have to deal with it because there are fields that we are looking at closing down right now,' Domke said, noting Fairgrove Park specifically will need to be shut down due to the chasms. He added the city shouldn't bother to appeal, since little can be done to control the animal at this time of year, as the males are now hibernating. However, the females will be active until July. The city had previously used a coagulant poison to control squirrel populations, but it was suspended in 2014 due to safety concerns surrounding dogs and birds of prey. - With files from CTV's Jon Hendricks and Charles Lefebvre


Independent Singapore
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Independent Singapore
Buried in bureaucracy: How cemetery workers lost their only way around
SINGAPORE: The quiet paths of Lim Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery were thrown into the public spotlight this week after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that several auto-rickshaws — locally referred to as 'tuk-tuks' — had been seized for investigation. The vehicles, unregistered and lacking license plates, had been used by cemetery workers to ferry tools and materials across the vast, winding grounds. The seizures followed public complaints, with concerns raised over road safety, but beneath the surface of this enforcement action lies a deeper ethical question: what happens when survival, accessibility, and tradition collide with regulation? The long, lonely roads of Lim Chu Kang Lim Chu Kang cemetery is one of Singapore's largest remaining burial grounds, covering over 300 hectares. Divided into sections for various religious groups, the Muslim cemetery alone covers over 26 hectares, with burial plots, tombstone yards, and maintenance sheds spread far apart along sun-beaten gravel roads. A 60-year-old groundskeeper who has worked in the cemetery since his teens. 'I can't walk far — my leg gives way.' Many of these workers, some past retirement age, are self-employed or contract labourers hired by families to maintain graves, lay grass, or install tombstones. They do not have employer-provided vehicles and cannot afford trucks or vans. Several said they resorted to tuk-tuks — often solar-powered and imported from China — as a last resort to stay mobile and keep earning a livelihood. A question of use, not abuse Unlike road-bound private hire vehicles or scooters used for leisure, these tuk-tuks seldom leave the cemetery. An owner of one of the tuk-tuks said he paid S$3,800 for his, which runs on solar energy and can last for days on a backup battery. For many workers, the investment is significant — more of a necessity than a convenience. The LTA has a clear mandate: All motor vehicles used on public roads or lands must be approved and registered to ensure safety and compliance. This ensures accountability and technical roadworthiness, especially in shared public spaces. However, in places like Lim Chu Kang, the distinction between public and private terrain is blurred. While technically public land, cemeteries are closed, quiet zones with little to no vehicular traffic beyond hearses, family visitors, and workers. Should the same regulatory expectations that apply to expressways be applied to remote cemetery paths used exclusively by older workers to transport stones and gardening tools? Unlike salaried gravediggers employed by mosques or the National Environment Authority (NEA), many of these workers operate independently. They are not unionised or represented, and their earnings depend on maintaining the trust of grieving families and returning customers. The seized vehicles are now impounded, and several workers say they are unsure how they will carry out their duties. Others are waiting, hoping for leniency or clarity.


The Guardian
18-05-2025
- The Guardian
Bolivian ‘cholitas' play high altitude golf
Cholitas Nelicia, Theresa, Martha and Patricia, who work as groundskeepers at La Paz Golf Club On Mondays, when the course is closed for maintenance, the women regularly enjoy a round of golf The 18-hole course sits 3,600 meters above sea level and is one of the highest in the world It is built into the dramatic Valle de la Luna , (Moon Valley), where sandstone mountains have eroded over time to produce a lunar-like landscape Theresa Zarate and Martha Mamani, both natives of the city of Oruro, have been working for more than a decade at the club The original La Paz golf course was founded in 1912 by British railway workers employed on the construction of roads, bridges and tracks through the Andes The existing course was built 10 miles away in Mallasilla in the 1940s Cholitas, indigenous Aymara and Quechua women, are known for their distinctive traditional dress, which includes wide skirts, bowler hats, and braided hair For many years, the group were marginalised and discriminated against, with their clothing seen as a sign of a lower social status It is a rare sight to see the women on a golf course, which has traditionally been seen as an elitist sport In recent years, attitudes in Bolvia have changed and cholitas have gained a newfound respect and admiration for their strength and resilience The groundsworkers keep the lush green fairways meticulously maintained while surrounded by a canyon and the snowcapped Andes The altitude allows you to hit the ball a lot further than you would closer to sea level, but the thin air also means you'll probably need a caddie to help you round the course The terrain is best viewed at the 12th hole, where the island tee box is reached by two bridges Theresa takes a shot on the course at La Paz Golf Club