Re: Manitoba legislation on non-essential uses of pesticides

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to the Manitoba Minister of Sustainable Development advocating for the retention of legislation banning non-essential pesticide use, citing a report on successful weed control in six Canadian municipalities.

• A report titled "Municipal Weed Control: Lessons from Ground Zero" analyzed weed control in six Canadian municipalities with bans on non-essential toxic pesticides. The study found that satisfactory weed control is achievable at reasonable costs without toxic herbicides, and that budgets have not risen exponentially. Managers maintained sports fields and high-visibility spaces using techniques such as mowing, aeration, overseeding, fertilization, and top-dressing rather than substituting banned products with allowable ones.
• Parks managers in the studied municipalities reported that a substantial majority of residents support weed control methods that avoid toxic pesticides in public spaces, and that complaints regarding weeds are "minimal.", with key informants stating they would not use toxic pesticides even if permitted because they are not needed.
• CAPE argues that non-essential pesticide exposure creates serious human health risks and additional costs for the provincial health care system. The organization references a recommendation from the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer for Manitoba stating that pesticides should not be used if they are not needed, and concludes that Manitoba's existing legislation should remain in place.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2018). Re: Manitoba legislation on non-essential uses of pesticides. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Manitoba-Pesticides-Article-October-18-2018.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Re: Manitoba legislation on non-essential uses of pesticides. 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Manitoba-Pesticides-Article-October-18-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Re: Manitoba legislation on non-essential uses of pesticides |date=17 October 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Manitoba-Pesticides-Article-October-18-2018.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2018manitoba, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Re: Manitoba legislation on non-essential uses of pesticides}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Manitoba-Pesticides-Article-October-18-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }