Pesticide Bans Spreading 
UPdate spring 2004

The OCFP report (see Physicians trash pesticides)has fueled arguments for banning cosmetic lawn and garden pesticide use. Shortly after the report was issued, Toronto decided not to weaken their proposed bylaw and adopted a phased-in ban. Montreal and Vancouver have also passed bans recently, as well as numbers of smaller municipalities. 

Halifax’s pesticide by-law nearly took a beating this spring. Intense back-room lobbying by Landscape Nova Scotia , the lobby group for lawn care companies, came close to convincing Halifax staff to give the organization the contract to inspect properties and determine whether exemptions to the bylaw should be granted, as well as to educate homeowners on alternatives to pesticides. Luckily, better sense prevailed (could it be that 200 letters a day had an impact?) and responsibility for bylaw monitoring was given to the Ecology Action Group.  

The moves to limit pesticide use in Canada’s major cities have shaken the pesticide industry. Representatives are warning their US counterparts to learn from what has happened in Canada and work against bylaws before its too late.