Only Councillor Victoria Serda voted against supporting the South Bruce proposal.

According to environmental lawyer, David Boyd, pesticides that have been banned in other countries, are still being used in Canada, including 2,4-D, carbaryl, endosulgan and permethin.

"To make matters worse," he says, " Canada allows pesticide residues on some foods at levels that are 20 to 400 times higher than levels allowed throughout Europe."

'The Food We Eat' is a report that looks at three areas of government with responsibility toward pesticide use:

• registering pesticides for specific uses;
• setting maximum residue limits (MRLs) on food;
• monitoring foods for pesticide residues.

According to the report, " ... there is conclusive evidence that regulations in Canada governing the use of pesticides and their impact on food and health are among the weakest in the industrialised world. There are at least 60 active ingredients available in Canadian products that have been banned in other western nations.

Among these pesticides are some of the most heavily used agricultural and household pesticide products, such as atrazine and 2,4-D."

Health concerns associated with chronic exposure to pesticides include increased risk of cancer, organ damage, birth defects and neurological impairments, such as Parkinson's disease. In fact, two recent Canadian studies found numerous pesticides in the blood and urine of Canadians from across the country.

The report makes several recommendations including: the termination of pesticide product registrations where the active ingredient has been banned in other industrialised nations; a review of all maximum residue limits for pesticides on food; and a ban on the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes.

Ann Rowan, Director of the Sustainability Program at the David Suzuki Foundation, has pointed out that, "A strong majority of Canadians support improved regulations to address environmental problems. Actions to reduce the use of most hazardous pesticides will diminish the risks to human health and nature. That's something we would all be thankful for."

A recent Supreme Court ruling in Ontario, unanimously upheld Toronto's adoption of a by-law restricting pesticide use against an appeal filed by Crop Life Canada, a trade association that includes pesticide producers. In addition, the Supreme Court denied Crop Life's application for leave to Appeal, ending legal challenges to the By-law.

The lack of adequate protection, at the federal and provincial levels, from unwanted exposure to lawn pesticides has escalated a growing surge in municipal pesticide restrictions designed for the protection of the environment and public health.

The number of municipal/regional by-laws now in place across Canada has increased to approximately 135 with many in the draft-pending adoption stage.

According to Canada's 2006 Census, " ...  40% of the country's population benefits from enhanced protection from unwanted exposure to synthetic lawn and garden pesticides." There are over 1200 municipalities that have passed various forms of pesticide use by-laws or that their regions or provinces have passed ... Saugeen Shores is not one of them