But we must also take responsibility when it comes to how we achieve that beautiful garden and perfect front lawn.
For years we have been told of the dangers of cosmetic pesticides and the health issues associated with their use. There has been resistance to banning the use of pesticides, much the same as there was at one time resistance to banning smoking in public places.
We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?
Just one week after the City of Vaughan enacted its bylaw prohibiting the cosmetic use of pesticides on private and public property, the province announced it too was taking action.
Ontario will become the second province in the country to ban both the sale and the cosmetic use of pesticides.
I applaud the province for following the City of Vaughan’s lead and recognizing that they must play a role in this important issue.
In order for the city’s bylaw to have teeth, we can’t just ban the use of pesticides. We must also ban the sale of the product, and that is up to the province.
The province is now taking the logical next step, which is to ban the sale of these pesticides and force companies to look for healthier alternatives.
And I am pleased to see many of them already are, with many big retailers recently announcing they are pulling pesticides off their shelves and replacing them with alternatives that are less harmful to the environment.
I have always been a strong proponent of banning the cosmetic use of pesticides.
It began many years ago with then-councillor, now Thornhill Liberal MP Susan Kadis. It continues today in my role as chair of the city’s environment committee.
Vaughan was one of the first municipalities to launch a pilot project where a park in Thornhill was designated pesticide-free.
The community embraced the move, and this support and encouragement allowed us to move forward with a citywide ban on pesticide use in parks.
As of 2005, all parks and sports fields in Vaughan have been pesticide-free. We believe prevention is the best approach for controlling weeds.
As elected officials, we have a moral obligation to advocate to higher levels of government on behalf of our constituents on every issue, but particularly those that affect residents.
This was a great initiative for a municipal government in terms of raising awareness of the importance of this issue to the provincial level.
So while we may all have to deal with a few more dandelions growing in our lawns, it’s a small price to pay for the health and welfare of the greater community.
