Provincial Pesticide Legislation – Dandelions & More!
The City’s had to change their weed control program in 2015 due to new Provincial legislation (Non-Essential Pesticide Use Regulation under the Environment Act) which restricts traditional pesticide use on lawns. This means that the City CAN NO LONGER use certain pesticides on grassed boulevards, parks and athletic fields. This is not ideal for some, but the City is restricted under the new Provincial legislation. Refer to the City of Winnipeg Weed Control website for details.
For the last few years, the City has been primarily mowing to control dandelions for the last few years. Mowing is the only action the City is taking to respond to dandelions in “grassed areas” and while this treatment has labour cost implications, at this point in time, there are no other cost effective legal alternatives.
The City did investigate alternative products to spray on dandelions that were in keeping with Provincial legislation, but the product was about 8x the cost of Roundup and was not being used by any other Canadian city due to overall ineffectiveness. Hard surface areas (non-grassed areas) with weeds or along difficult locations such as fence lines are now being sprayed with acetic acid (Eco-clear or vinegar). This product is nowhere near as efficient as Roundup, but does comply with Provincial legislation. You can contact your local MLA to express your concerns:
For some great tips on residential lawn/yard care, visit the City’s Sustainability web page on the website.. So if you can’t beat those dandelions, try cooking them!!
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