As of today over 250 pesticides will be removed from Ontario stores.
Queen's Park, Toronto - There should be a little less drifting off Ontario lawns and gardens this spring as provincial legislation to ban pesticides for cosmetic usegoes into effect. As part of the province's ‘toxics reduction strategy’, that recently included Bisphenol A, many more endocrine disruptors and carcinogens are now banned to the general public. Critics are left to ponder what may be in store as the legislation exempts businesses, for example those using the pesticides to produce food, manage golf courses or forests. Perhaps in time the ban will be applied to everyone.
Pesticides, as a legal term, refers to any product containing the listed insecticides, herbicides or fungicides. A products and ingredients link on a MOE website, lists the 70 chemicals found in over 300 products to be banned for cosmetic use. The list includes many common weed and feeds, weed killers and bug sprays.
The legislation follows that of Quebec’s in 2006 and a number of municipalities across Canada including Halifax and Peterborough. On Earth Day ‘08, Premier McGuinty said Ontario municipalities would be allowed to expand the legislation if they desired, it would just set a minimum standard of what is permitted for Ontario home owners. Legal analysts have since pointed out the law actually forbids municipalities from enacting tougher municipal bylaws than the provincial standard. McGuinty admitted on the CBC, May 6, 2008 he had misspoke on Earth Day. Since the proposed legislation is provincial, it will have the teeth to ban the sale of these products to home owners, something municipalities haven't had the authority to do. Loblaws Garden Centres stopped selling such products in 2003 and other big-box retailers including Wal-Mart had previously pledged to discontinue the product lines.
Established manufacturers will no doubt be searching for reformulated lawn and garden products that offer similar effects using less toxic compounds. New players are already on the scene. Oshawa’s The Environmental Factor, offering organic lawn care solutions, has a corn-based 'weed and feed' product. Guelph’s Bugs For Bugs sells a grub control system based on promoting competing creatures.
The days of ‘weed and feed ‘n forget' are likely over for Ontarians. Home owners will need to become more proactive, taking appropriate seasonal actions: keeping on top of weeds in the spring, overseeding if needed in the fall, aerating and ensuring proper compost or fertilizer is available to promote grass over weed growth.
Hopefully, more local grasses can be identified and re-introduced, species that should have an advantage. With healthy desirable plants in place, bugs should be kept in check. There will no doubt continue to be strong demand for talented arborists and landscapers. Demand for many old skills and no doubt a couple of new ones will crop up. But, in worst case infestations, can we still call the exterminator to bring out the big guns? There are still questions to be answered.
Pesticides, as a legal term, refers to any product containing the listed insecticides, herbicides or fungicides. A products and ingredients link on a MOE website, lists the 70 chemicals found in over 300 products to be banned for cosmetic use. The list includes many common weed and feeds, weed killers and bug sprays. Although several corporations are threatening lawsuits over ban regards to NAFTA, Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen said he is not worried about it.