WHEREAS residents of the Province of British Columbia are increasingly requesting their local governments to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides within their boundaries in order to mitigate concerns that these pesticides present a threat to the environment, children, pets and personal health; AND WHEREAS as these bylaws are being implemented in some municipalities, it has been found that community bans have little effect on overall pesticide sales, in sharp contrast to the Province of Quebec which has seen a fifty percent drop in pesticide use since their legislated ban in 1994; AND WHEREAS the Community Charter does not give communities the legislative authority to ban the sale of pesticides, only to regulate their use: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia enact provincial legislation that will ban the sale and use of cosmetic pesticides province-wide.
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT Many pesticides may be used for both cosmetic and non-cosmetic purposes. The Ministry has received comments of concern from key sectors that pesticides must remain available for non-cosmetic purposes including control of invasive plants, noxious weeds, and pests that may impact structures or food crops. The Ministry promotes and, in some cases, requires the use of Integrated Pest Management IPM when making decisions about pest management. IPM includes the use of pest prevention techniques and the use of alternatives to pesticides where possible. The August 2009 Throne Speech announced that British Columbians will be consulted on new statutory protections to further safeguard our environment from cosmetic chemical pesticides. Options to fulfill this commitment are being developed.