Council delays pesticide decision
Resident Madelaine Jones holds up cigarette during discussion of pesticides.
By MIKE YOUDS
A commercial pesticide applicator warned City council Tuesday that it would have to hire more bylaw officers if cosmetic pesticide use is banned, “because you’re going to have to catch me.”
Council chambers were filled to overflowing as people on both sides of the cosmetic pesticide debate made their case. Ultimately there was no decision on a controversial motion to ban their use altogether.
After hearing yea and nay during public inquiries, council voted 6-2 to postpone the matter until July 14, though councillors who favour the ban remain certain that Kamloops will follow the lead of seven provinces and19 other B.C. communities.
The issue arose as a notice of motion from Coun. Tina Lange, responding to pressure from the City’s urban agriculture committee. Commercial pesticide applicators, who saw their business jump in 2009 when the City prohibited cosmetic spraying by homeowners, said they were not consulted on this latest move.
Jackie Doherty, co-owner of Grassroots Lawn Care, was glad to see significant support for opposing the ban, but was left to question the six-week delay.
“We’re definitely going to have to get our ducks in a row and determine what we need to do,” Doherty said after the meeting. “Is this a debate on science or on politics?”
The longstanding debate threatened to dominate council affairs at Tuesday’s regular meeting as business people and concerned citizens spoke passionately about the issue.
Doherty felt the City should put the question to a referendum because it would shut down businesses and ruin livelihoods. Mayor Peter Milobar said council could choose to take that route.
Madelaine Jones held up a cigarette and pointed to the ban on smoking in public places. Pesticide exposure is no different in terms of health risk, she suggested.
A second call for a referendum drew applause from opponents, prompting the mayor to call for order in chambers or he would stop the discussion.
One spray applicator said the City would have to hire more bylaw officers to enforce the ban, “Because you’re going to have to catch me.”
Questioned on the City’s own use of pesticides, parks director Byron McCorkell said they use an integrated pest management approach. That means using alternatives to pesticides, including vinegar, steam, corn gluten and vinegar, as well as minimal use of the herbicide Roundup. McCorkell said the City uses between five and 15 litres per year of the commercially available Roundup.
“We still find the most cost-effective means to control what we can is Roundup.”
Lange pointed out her motion doesn’t apply to vegetables and fruit trees, only for cosmetic purposes “to make things look pretty.”
She said afterwards that the proposed ban will pass eventually considering the support among councillors for the move. She is confident because a similar motion was narrowly defeated three years ago while two new councillors, Denis Walsh and Dieter Dudy, are expected to support the ban.
She said the City favoured the commercial spray industry with its regulation of homeowner use six years ago. The sector had plenty of notice with this latest move, she added.
“We handed them the Golden Goose in 2009,” Lange said. “It was like we just threw money at them. Now they’re all choked up. Get out and do what business people do, which is adapt.”
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Hmmm. One wonders how the BC Weed Control Act be enforced in the absence of the ability to remove noxious weeds. Read the act, councillor Lange.
On the flip side, I guess if you make lawn-clippings soup, you’re okay to spray your lawn. Grass would therefore be classified as a “vegetable”?
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It was not a professional applicator that made the comment to “come and catch me” it was a private citizen. For Tina Lange to suggest that business just needs to adapt is mindblowing. How can we adapt when the playing field is not level? the products that are registered by Health Canada and and can be safely used, when used by label directions will still be available at any local retailer, but as a professional applicator we cannot offer the same products. There is no alternative product available to us. How then do we adapt?
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The same way hundreds of other Canadian cities have.
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Once again, someone stomps their feet and throws a tantrum, and council runs for the hills to avoid confrontation. And as for that applicator that threatened them ? I would have staff taking a good hard look at his business license.
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But they are not banning pesticides. They are banning herbicides. You can still spray pesticides to your heart’s content if you have a fruit tree or on your cabbages if you have a garden. Why is the proper terminology not used. It is confusing people! Pesticides harm people and the environment too, so in a fruit growing area like the Okanagan everyone is exposed to the spray, which will never be banned because it would harm the economy.
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Coun. Tina Lange has explained that an herbicide is a pesticide, and that her motion does not affect vegetables and fruit trees.
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Get out and do what business people do, which is adapt.
Congrats to councilor Lange for saying it. Science is not a pigeonhole, is dynamic and far-reaching and it provides the understanding there are alternatives.
A manicured lawn is an aberration from a natural point of view.
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Pierre, for once I 100% agree with you.
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There is a lot of information available from CAPE (Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment) on this issue. Here is a link – http://cape.ca/pesticides/ If you explore their site you will find more. The “science” is far from conclusive that pesticides are “safe.” In fact, there is much need for caution.
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