Grass isn't greener for lawn care companies, hit hard by Winnipeg heat
Jacky Maan has a message for Mother Nature: "we need some rain."
The West St. Paul man says sales are down about 50 per cent for his lawn-cutting business which serves Winnipeg and some areas outside the city.
Tinder-dry conditions with very little rain have meant most lawns haven't needed a trim for weeks.
"Business is going down really hard," Mann said, standing next to a brown city boulevard.
Maan has owned Regal Grass Cutting for five years and said this has been the worst for sales so far. Last year was busy and this year has been so quiet he's thinking of what he'll do next to make money.
The tinder-dry conditions are also hitting summer employees' wallets at Weed Man. The persistent hot weather — including three separate heat waves and the hottest Aug. 12 most of Manitoba's ever seen — has meant employees have had to work earlier or later to avoid the sun.
"It's been a real battle to keep the lawns looking good this summer," said David Hinton, whose business specializes in keeping lawns green and healthy.
Luckily for Hinton, most of his business books up in the spring but he said it has impacted seasonal workers who haven't been able to get sent out to work due to the heat.
"Certainly they're seeing smaller paycheques because they can't work all day like we normally would."
