Re: Calgary Pesticides Policy

A statement from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to the City of Calgary advocating for the regulation of cosmetic pesticides on both City-owned and private lands, citing significant health risks and the effectiveness of existing provincial and municipal bans in Canada.

• The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada has been criticized for failures in its pesticide approval process. A 2015 report from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found that the PMRA was too slow in re-evaluating pesticides on the market for over 15 years, failed to assess cumulative health effects in required situations, and did not consistently apply the 10-fold safety factor for children and infants.
• Multiple systematic reviews link pesticide exposure to severe health issues. A 2002 Toronto Public Health review associated pesticides with increased risks of some cancers, reproductive effects, and neurological effects. A 2007 review in Canadian Family Physician linked exposures to brain, prostate, and kidney cancers, as well as non-hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia. A 2012 Ontario College of Family Physicians review found correlations with low birth weights and neuro-developmental deficits in children, as well as respiratory symptoms and lung diseases.
• A 2015 review by the Prince Edward Island Chief Public Health Office found evidence linking pesticides to neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and depression. It also identified associations with various cancers in adults (such as cutaneous melanoma and non-hodgkin’s lymphoma) and children (including Ewing’s sarcoma and neuroblastoma).
• As of 2016, seven Canadian provinces and 180 municipalities have laws prohibiting certain cosmetic pesticides on private property. Alberta is one of only three provinces without a provincial law prohibiting toxic pesticides on lawns, gardens, and greenspace.
• Regulatory approaches for cosmetic pesticides vary between 'black lists' of prohibited active ingredients and 'white lists' of allowed ones. In Ontario, pesticides are only added to the white list if they have a non-toxic mode of action, low toxicity to non-target organisms, do not persist in the environment, and do not cause significant exposure.
• Evidence suggests that pesticide bans are effective in reducing usage and environmental contamination. A study in Toronto showed a roughly 57% decrease in residential lawn pesticide use following a municipal bylaw. In Ontario, a provincial ban led to significant reductions of 2,4-D (81%), dicamba (83%), and MCPP (81%) in water bodies.
• An August 2016 OraclePoll Research survey of 1,000 Albertans indicated strong support for pesticide regulation. Nearly 70% of respondents believe cosmetic pesticides threaten the health of children and pets, and 62% support a provincial law to phase out all but the safest pesticides for lawns and gardens.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2016). Re: Calgary Pesticides Policy. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Calgary-Pesticides-Let-Dec2016-1.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Re: Calgary Pesticides Policy. 2016. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Calgary-Pesticides-Let-Dec2016-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Re: Calgary Pesticides Policy |date=31 January 2016 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Calgary-Pesticides-Let-Dec2016-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2016calgary, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Re: Calgary Pesticides Policy}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Calgary-Pesticides-Let-Dec2016-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }