Man who fought for an un-mowed lawn in Mississauga now subject of a documentary

A man who has battled Mississauga to keep his lawn natural and un-mowed is now the subject of a documentary.

Mississauga resident Wolf Ruck transformed his front lawn from grass to a pollinator habitat, but has been fighting the city since 2021 to keep it that way. His struggles have made headlines as far away as The Guardian newspaper in England.

And now his fight is part of a documentary film, titled A Wolf in the Suburbs, directed by Québec filmmaker Amélie Hardy and produced by Rosalie Chicoine-Perreault of Montréal’s acclaimed Metafilms, according to a press release.

Film crews wrapped up a six-day shoot at Ruck’s home on Lincolnshire Boulevard in Mississauga on Aug. 7.

The film captures the story of Ruck’s urban re-wilding project—a determined five-year effort to transform a traditional suburban lawn into a pollinator- and wildlife-friendly ecosystem.

“This story is about courage—the courage to re-imagine what urban life can look like,” said Hardy. “Filming here felt like stepping into a different future, one where cities breathe again.”

The naturalization process has unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing litigation in Ontario courts triggered by annual anonymous neighbour complaints.

Three weeks before the start of filming, a Mississauga bylaw enforcement officer issued another notice of contravention and threatened to mow and weed-whack Ruck’s lawn, he said.

Ruck’s continuing battle with the city went to court and a July 2 judicial review hearing decision is pending, he said.

Ruck welcomed the film crews to tell his story.

“This isn’t just a garden—it’s a living film set, a creative collaboration, and a tangible example of how we can re-imagine our cities in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change,” said Ruck. “The story we’re telling here will resonate far beyond Mississauga.”

Chicoine-Perreault said she hopes the film inspires action to protect places like 1720 Lincolnshire for future generations.

“This documentary is about the relationship between people and the land they live on,” Chicoine-Perreault said. “Wolf Ruck’s re-wilding project challenges us to rethink how we inhabit our urban environments.”

The film is expected to premiere in 2026.