Pesticides utilisés à des fins esthétiques : politiques provinciales et règlements municipaux – Leçons tirées et meilleures pratiques

This executive summary examines provincial and municipal regulations regarding the use of pesticides for aesthetic purposes in Canada. It analyzes the structure, implementation, and effectiveness of these laws, identifying best practices and recommending improvements to reduce the use of non-essential pesticides.

• The 2001 Supreme Court of Canada decision in the case of the city of Hudson v. Spraytech enabled Canadian municipalities to protect citizens from aesthetic pesticides, leading to the adoption of over 200 municipal regulations and prompting provinces to create their own frameworks.
• Regulatory approaches vary between broad bans covering all landscaping elements—seen in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Peterborough, and Montreal—and restricted bans that only apply to lawns, such as those in Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Calgary.
• Provinces use different listing methods to manage pesticides: Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Quebec utilize 'black lists' of prohibited products, while Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba use 'white lists' of approved, safer, and less toxic products.
• Evidence suggests that mandatory regulations are significantly more effective than voluntary programs. A national study found voluntary education and awareness campaigns resulted in only a 10-24% reduction in pesticide use. In contrast, Ontario saw reductions of 80-83% in several common active ingredients in water samples after its ban, and Toronto reported a 57% decrease in aesthetic pesticide use between 2003 and 2008.
• The report identifies several areas for regulatory improvement, including the removal of exceptions for golf courses, the implementation of permit and registration systems for exceptions, annual random audits of pesticide retailers, and addressing indoor pesticide use.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Pesticides utilisés à des fins esthétiques : politiques provinciales et règlements municipaux – Leçons tirées et meilleures pratiques. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Sommaire-exe%CC%81cutif-Pesticides-utilise%CC%81s-a%CC%80-des-fins-esthe%CC%81tiques-2016.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Pesticides utilisés à des fins esthétiques : politiques provinciales et règlements municipaux – Leçons tirées et meilleures pratiques. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Sommaire-exe%CC%81cutif-Pesticides-utilise%CC%81s-a%CC%80-des-fins-esthe%CC%81tiques-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Pesticides utilisés à des fins esthétiques : politiques provinciales et règlements municipaux – Leçons tirées et meilleures pratiques |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Sommaire-exe%CC%81cutif-Pesticides-utilise%CC%81s-a%CC%80-des-fins-esthe%CC%81tiques-2016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndpesticides, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Pesticides utilisés à des fins esthétiques : politiques provinciales et règlements municipaux – Leçons tirées et meilleures pratiques}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/5.Sommaire-exe%CC%81cutif-Pesticides-utilise%CC%81s-a%CC%80-des-fins-esthe%CC%81tiques-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }