Regina’s executive committee voted for the city not to further expand its domestic chemical pesticide usage restrictions.
It was back in April 2021 that the city began a review on non-essential pesticides. It was only recently that a report presented to the executive committee looked at options for further regulating public and private pesticide use was presented to the committee.
In the report, city administration recommended the elimination of the cosmetic use of glyphosate and dichlobenil-based pesticide products, in addition to existing restrictions on the use of 24D-based products in city-owned parks and green spaces.
It also suggested amending city bylaws to support using livestock, like goats, as alternative pest management, similar to the Provincial Capital Commission’s project in Wascana Park.
Mayor Sandra Masters said that public survey results from last spring showed that 70 per cent of respondents felt comfortable with how pesticides are currently used in the city and would not support a full ban.
“The City of Regina has some pretty fantastic procedures as it relates to reducing pesticides and herbicides in the city where possible,” she said. “I think the idea that we would hire more bylaw enforcement in order to enforce something, which by all accounts would be very difficult to do, was not something that it would appear executive committee had the appetite for.”
Administration estimated implementing a full ban for all residents and a public education program would cost $147,000 per year.
A partial ban, limiting use to only licensed commercial applicators, would cost around the same, with the bulk of the cost centred on adding bylaw enforcement resources.
