Letter to the Editor:

It was disappointing to read in the Shoreline Beacon (February 27, 2008), that Saugeen Shores Council had decided to endorse a 'Responsible Use Plan' and not a ban of the cosmetic use of pesticides. Many communities across Ontario have already banned cosmetic pesticide use. Surveys indicate that over 70% of Ontario residents support the Ontario government's plan to enact legislation banning the cosmetic use of pesticides. This level of support was also evident in the recent 'Question of the Week' in the Beacon, where 2/3 of respondents supported a ban.

A coalition of 15 respected health and environmental organizations, including the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and the Canadian Cancer Society is supporting strong pesticide legislation. The coalition states:

"In a world of multiple chemical exposures, we must remove needless risks from lawn and garden pesticides."

While we wait for the Provincial government to bring in legislation, a municipal ban would provide our community with the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to a 'greener', healthier environment.

Sometimes, as individuals we feel overwhelmed by the world's environmental problems and we start to believe that 'someone out there will have to fix it'. But cosmetic pesticide use is one issue where each and every one of us has the power to make a difference. What if each one of us:

1. let our elected representative know we support a ban on cosmetic pesticide use?
2. educated one other person about the potential risks of lawn and garden pesticide use?
3. stopped using chemical pesticides on our own lawns and gardens?

The Saugeen Shores website invites visitors to come and experience the natural beauty of our shoreline community and breathe the clean fresh air from the lake. We need to 'walk the talk' by taking action to ban the unnecessary use of chemical pesticides now.

Sincerely,

Mary Sylver

Southampton, ON