Are you concerned about the District of Kent’s use of pesticides on our parks, sidewalks and playing fields? Would you rather be exposed to toxic chemicals than have some dandelions and clover along the pathways and edges of our green public spaces?

The District uses Glyphosate (Round-up), Glufosinate Ammonium and Trillion (2,4-D & mecoprop), at the sole discretion of the Head District Gardener. All these pesticides have been shown to have negative health and environmental impacts*. While the Head District Gardener is required to post notices after spraying, the pesticides remain in the soil, in the air, in the water, our food, and in our wildlife long after these notices are removed. Pets, children and adults are vulnerable to harm from these unnecessary pesticides. Effective alternatives are available, such as aeration, top-dressing, over-seeding, and fertilization.

If you would like the District of Kent to stop using pesticides, please sign this petition, which will be presented to Council in the near future.

To the Mayor and Council, District of Kent:

We, the undersigned, would like the District of Kent to stop using pesticides for cosmetic control of unwanted plant growth in our parks and public spaces. We are concerned about the health impacts on people, especially children, pets, wildlife, our air and water*. We love our parks and public greenspaces, and would like them to support the health of all of us.

In 2010, 18 public organizations urged B.C. to introduce the ban including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada and the Public Health Association of B.C. Pesticides have been linked to some forms of cancer and in particular childhood leukemia.

By 2016, forty municipalities in BC, covering more than half of the population — including Surrey and Vancouver, our two largest cities— had banned the use of pesticides for purely cosmetic use. (Pesticide Free BC, 2016)

In 2018, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment interviewed parks managers in six major Canadian cities where toxic pesticides are banned. (London, Guelph, St. Catharines and Toronto in Ontario, Richmond (BC) and Cape Breton Regional Municipality (Nova Scotia). “The study found that publicly acceptable levels of weed control can be achieved at a reasonable cost without the need for toxic pest control products….Concerns over soaring costs for labour and allowable products have also turned out to be unfounded.” (CAPE.ca, Weed Crisis Averted)

We urge Council to introduce a ban on cosmetic use of pesticides on public, residential and commercial properties in the District of Kent.

Selected references:

• International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC.who.int)
• Glyphosate Herbicide fact sheet (www.pesticide.org)
• Glufosinate Herbicide fact sheet (Journal of Pesticide Reform)
• Cdn.nufarm.com – Nufarm Trillion Turf Herbicide Safety Sheet