Group of Shediac, N.B. residents calling for bylaw to ban pesticides

The group says its members are worried about the impact the pesticides have on the health of people and the environment.

A group of Shediac, N.B., residents is pushing for a bylaw banning pesticide use for cosmetic purposes.

Josée Dupuis of Shediac said in an interview on Wednesday said she has been lobbying for a ban for about four years.

“We’ve done presentations in the past. Actually about three and a half years ago they voted against the bylaw so we’ve been continuing,” Dupuis said.

Currently, provincial regulation of pesticide use requires landscaping companies to have a pesticide operating licence and to put several measures in place to mitigate possible risks.

For example, “lawn care companies can only apply pesticides to a maximum of 50 per cent of the area of a property in a given year,” according to a spokesperson for the province’s Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Dupuis doesn’t think that’s enough, and wants to see a ban in Shediac like the one adopted by Tracadie-Sheila in 2021.

“We are worried about the health effects those products have on children and the citizens, as well as the environment,” she said.

Certain pesticides can be harmful to human health, according to Health Canada, especially for children and women of childbearing age.