Manitoba seeks input on cosmetic pesticide ban

The Manitoba government wants to hear from people about whether to ban cosmetic lawn pesticides provincewide.

The province is accepting public feedback until Oct. 1 on the idea of restricting the sale and/or use of chemical pesticides to make lawns look better by killing weeds, bugs and other pests.

Environmental and health groups, including the Canadian Cancer Society, have called on various provinces to ban cosmetic pesticides.

The David Suzuki Foundation says it hopes Manitoba will join the seven provinces, led by Ontario and Nova Scotia, that have already banned the chemicals.

"We'd really encourage the government of Manitoba to look to what's been done in those provinces, and seek to at least match those leading models in Ontario and Nova Scotia, and even improve upon them," said Lisa Gue, an environmental health policy analyst with the foundation.

The pesticide bans vary from province to province, but Gue said Ontario and Nova Scotia have banned the largest number of pesticides.

People will still buy pesticides, says store owner

But Harry Schreimer of Schreimer's Home and Garden in East St. Paul, Man., warned that people will find a way to get around a pesticide ban.

Schreimer said when Quebec first banned cosmetic pesticides in 2003, some in that province skirted it by going to Ontario.

When Ontario imposed its own ban five years later, cross-border shoppers went to New York to buy pesticides.

"I guess more people will be filling their trunks up when they come back from North Dakota,"Schreimer said.

Cosmetic pesticides remain widely available in North Dakota, as the use of the chemicals is not an issue there or in most other American states, a pesticide expert at North Dakota State University told CBC News.

Schreimer said banning the use of cosmetic lawn pesticides is a knee-jerk reaction to what he called a meaningless trend.

The province may be holding public consultations on the issue, but it has already made up its mind on a ban, he added.

People who have spent thousands of dollars landscaping their property won't let that all go to weed, Schreimer said, adding that some have already started hoarding pesticides.

"I had one lady a month ago [who] came in and bought 40 units of weed and feed product because she knows they are going out of style," he said.

"She's going to store them. She says, 'Well, I use a couple a year; I'm good for 20 years.'"

The popularity of pesticides has already declined significantly over the last few years anyway, he said.

Legislature lawn chemical-free

Any ban on cosmetic pesticides in Manitoba won't have any effect on the manicured grounds at the provincial legislature.

Grounds manager Jean Dorge said he stopped using lawn chemicals seven years ago, and instead employs more students during the summer to help maintain the lawns there.

Dorge said he has also spent about $25,000 on new equipment to pick up lawn clippings and aerate the soil.

"There's a lot of individuals who pass wonderful commentsthe grass is soft, the texture is nicer, they have no problems with their grandchildren and allergies and all that kind of stuff," he said.

Dorge advises homeowners not to cut their lawns too short. As well, they should remove the clippings in order to get rid of weed seeds, he said.