Manitoba government to loosen ban on cosmetic pesticides in province

Quigley said the current ban addressed health concerns from spraying cosmetic pesticides on lawns. (Photo: Peter Organisciak/ Flickr)

WINNIPEG –The Manitoba government says it will loosen the province’s cosmetic pesticide ban.

In a statement given to CTV News, Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox said the majority of submissions during a public consultation last summer expressed dissatisfaction with the current regulations.

She said based on that feedback, the province will develop a framework that will clarify application restrictions and retail distribution.

Manitoba’s cosmetic pesticide ban prevents municipalities and homeowners from using certain types of chemicals to treat lawns.

The previous NDP government brought the ban into effect in 2015.

It forced lawn companies to stop using weed control chemicals like Par III and switch to a far more expensive, eco-friendly product called Fiesta.

“Anybody who’s on a budget, obviously, those are the customers we definitely lost as a result,” said Tim Muys with Green Blade Lawn Care. “It just became too expensive.”

However, Justin Quigley with Green Action Centre said he believes in the ban.

“We are hoping that it could be strengthened, rather than loosened,” he said.

Quigley said the current ban addressed health concerns from spraying cosmetic pesticides on lawns.