Action updates:

Please write or call Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship Gord Mackintosh, Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister, and the NDP Caucus to let them know you want to see this legislation passed this Spring.  Minister Mackintosh’s number is (204)-945-3730 and his email address is: minconws@leg.gov.mb.ca. Brian Pallister’s number is (204) 945-3593 and his email is brian.pallister@leg.gov.mb.ca. The NDP Caucus can be reached at (204) 945-3710. Click here to send them all your pesticide-ban email now! (link will open up your email with a quick message already included).

Check out our film screening event on April 22 at The Park Theatre: Precautionary Principle: The Nicole Bruinsma Story.

January 22, 2014

We may not be thinking about our lawns right now with all of the snow on the ground, but we still need to let government know we support a strong ban on toxic lawn pesticides. Please send an email using the link above or volunteer to help at one of our phone banks this February:

We are looking for volunteers to call Green Action Centre members and ask them to contact their MLA, NDP or PC caucus. We will be calling Manitobans February 19 & 20 from 6-8 pm from our office at 303 Portage Ave.  Contact Amanda at (204) 925-3779 or email amanda(at)greenactioncentre.ca for more info.

November 4, 2013
Minister Gord Mackintosh has promised to introduce the lawn pesticide legislation this upcoming session. Our calls has been effective! But we need to reach the NDP caucus so they know Manitobans want this ban and that they should support the legislation once it’s introduced. Find out who your MLA is or call the NDP caucus at (204) 945-3710. The opposition has come out against a ban, citing safety hazards from tripping on dandelions and loss of natural sports turf to artificial turf. They also need to hear that Manitobans support this. Reach Brian Pallister, leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, at (204) 489-0828.

October 2, 2013
The promised lawn pesticide legislation is at risk because of delays during the last legislative session, and from industry pressure. Help make sure this legislation doesn’t fall to the wayside. The health and safety of all Manitobans, especially our children must be a priority.

We are also looking for volunteers to call Green Action Centre members and ask them to contact Minister Mackintosh.  If you are available Nov 6, 7, 20 or 21st from 6-8pm, please contact Amanda at 204-925-3779 or email amanda(at)greenactioncentre.ca.

June 28, 2013

(Winnipeg, MB) Environmental and health organizations welcome a decision by the Provincial Government to ban toxic lawn pesticides in Manitoba. At a news conference today outside the Manitoba Legislature, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh announced legislation that will phase out the sale and use of harmful cosmetic pesticides. The proposed legislation concerns lawn care pesticides only, and does not deal with agricultural or commercial pesticides or insecticides used for mosquito control.

The move will provide Manitobans with some of the strongest protections in Canada from the risks posed by lawn pesticides. Six other provinces have introduced restrictions on lawn pesticides in recent years, but the legislation would be the first of its kind in Western Canada.

There has been widespread peer-reviewed research demonstrating the health impacts of cosmetic pesticides. A 2012 report by the Ontario College of Family Physicians documented 142 studies linking pesticide use to serious illnesses including cancer, birth defects, respiratory and neurological diseases. The proposed legislation will help protect the populations which are most at risk from pesticide exposure, especially children.

“Our doctors applaud the lawn pesticide ban announced today,” said Gideon Forman, executive director of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). “Assuming the legislation goes ahead without loopholes, it will make a major contribution to environmental protection and human health. Study after study shows that people exposed to pesticides are at greater risk for cancer and neurological illness. This ban will go a long way toward protecting our lakes, drinking water, beloved family pets, and — most important — our children. In a word, it will protect what matters most to Manitobans.” CAPE helped obtain a cosmetic pesticide ban in Ontario a few years ago, and shared their expertise with Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Manitoba and Green Action Centre to ensure Manitobans were also protected by a ban.

In Ontario, where a comprehensive ban on lawn pesticides has been in place since 2009, it has proven effective in reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in residential areas as well as in lakes and rivers. Experience in other provinces has also demonstrated that lawn care companies can adapt as ecological alternative products have become widely available.

“We do not need to apply dangerous chemicals to maintain beautiful lawns and gardens ” said Josh Brandon, spokesperson for Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Manitoba. “Today’s announcement is about applying a precautionary approach. There is no reason to risk the health and safety of our environment and families when we know that there are many safer products that are effective and widely available.”

Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Manitoba is a coalition of over 30 health and environmental organizations in Manitoba and across Canada working to ban on cosmetic pesticides in Manitoba.