Charlottetown pesticide bylaw 'premature' says lawn care company

Not everyone is thrilled that Charlottetown is one step closer to a ban on cosmetic pesticides.

• Charlottetown closer to pesticide ban

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A bylaw was reintroducedafter being shot down last June. The bylaw passed narrowly Monday night with a five to four vote, as councillor Melissa Hilton excused herself due to a conflict of interest her husband owns a pesticide application company.

And today Hilton's husband Robert Gallant, a vocal opponent of the bylaw and owner of Atlantic Graduate Lawn and Care Pest Control, spoke out.

"This morning already, there's been many, many phone calls. 'Get us on the list. Get our lawn treated this year before the ban comes into effect,'" said Gallant.

Gallant complains the products that will be banned are the most effective ones.And his sales have already taken a hit in Cornwall and Stratford where pesticide bylaws are in place.

"It's early, it's premature and that's why I was hoping that the City of Charlottetown might sit back and see how it goes in Stratford and Cornwall and then maybe work with industry and other groups after there's a bit of a learning process and then come up with what's good for all citizens of Charlottetown," Gallant told CBC.

'Non-issue'

Implementation of the new bylaws in Cornwall and Stratford have gone smoothly so far, officials there said.

"It's going very quietly," said Kevin McCarville, Cornwall's chief administrative officer.

Both Cornwall and Stratford town halls have received only a handful of calls from residents seeking clarification on what they are permitted to do.

"So far this is as close to a non-issue as we could have imagined," McCarville added.

"The Town of Stratford has had a very positive response to our cosmetic pesticide bylaw," said a statement to CBC from the Town of Stratford.

"We have not received any inquires or complaints around the work of any applicator in the town nor have we received any applications for an exception due to an insect infestation."

Some Charlottetown councillorsexpresseda desire to wait until the fall to vote, to see how the summer plays out in Cornwall and Stratford, but final reading of the bylaw is scheduled for next month and if it passes, it'll go into effect in January 2017.

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