'Unnecessary and avoidable threat': Calls to keep cosmetic pesticide ban in place
Over 30 health and environmental organizations are calling on the province to keep the cosmetic pesticide ban in place.
The group, which includes the Manitoba Health Coalition, the Manitoba College of Family Physicians and the Winnipeg Humane Society, wants the province to rethink Bill 22.
The upcoming legislation would roll back restrictions that have been in place since 2014, which forces lawn companies and homeowners to stop using certain chemicals and switch to eco-friendly products.
The coalition believes lawn pesticides are a threat to the health of children and others.
“The overwhelming consensus of the available research tells us that children are most at risk from exposure to pesticides. Toxic lawn pesticides represent an unnecessary and avoidable threat to the health of children and others in our community. The pesticide ban can and should stay in place,” said Thomas Linner, provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition.
If the bill is passed, people would be allowed to use Health Canada approved pesticides for cosmetic use, but there would still be a ban in places like schools, child-care centres, hospitals, municipal playgrounds and provincial parks.
READ MORE: Understanding pesticides in Manitoba
The Manitoba NDP, who announced in April it would delay the bill, issued a statement Tuesday, renewing calls to stop the bill from passing.
"This bad PC bill is unnecessary and it will move us backward not forward to a cleaner future,” said Lisa Naylor, NDP critic for climate change and the environment.
“Families and experts agree – cosmetic pesticides are harmful for our children, our pets and our environment. We have to come together to raise awareness and stop Bill 22."
BILL WOULD ALLOW HEALTH CANADA APPROVED PESTICIDES: PROVINCE
In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for Jeff Wharton, Manitoba’s minister of environment, climate and parks said cosmetic pesticides that are currently restricted in Manitoba are deemed acceptable by Health Canada.
They added over 350 Health Canada scientists are dedicated to the review of pesticides.
“They use the most recent data and science available to assess risks to human health and the environment. Any pesticide must go through this rigorous review before it can be sold in Canada and must include instructions on how to safely apply the product,” the spokesperson said.
They added other prairie provinces have no such ban on pesticides in place and do not protect sensitive areas like schools and hospitals, as Bill 22 would.
The bill is set to come to a vote in the Legislature this fall.
- With files from CTV’s Jon Hendricks and Devon McKendrick
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.