By Gary McKenna – The Tri-City News
Published: March 23, 2012 2:00 AM
Chemical fungicides will continue to be allowed at the Centennial Rose Garden, after Coquitlam council voted in favour of an exemption to its proposed pesticide ban.
Last week Bev Welsh, president of the Fraser Pacific Rose Society, told council that in-season chemicals should be permitted, at least until the garden could transition to hardier, disease resistant plants.
On Monday, council agreed, voting unanimously in favour of an exemption for the garden being included in the pesticide bylaw, which has yet to receive final reading.
The volunteer-run Centennial Garden has been a fixture at the Dogwood Pavilion for 21 years and Welsh said it has become a tourist attraction and wedding venue with over 800 plants from 60 varieties of roses.
She added that in the coming years the garden would be transitioning to more hybridized rose that would not require chemical fungicides.
Municipalities across the country have banned pesticide use, including nearly 40 in B.C. such as Port Moody (in 2003), Port Coquitlam (2011), Burnaby (2008), New Westminster (2009) and Pitt Meadows (2011). Cities do not have the power to prohibit the sale of pesticides in retail stores.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, scientific research shows people exposed to pesticides are at greater risk for cancer, reproductive problems and neurological illness.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
-with files from Janis Warren
The Tri-City News – Pesticide ban won't apply to Dogwood rose garden.
MARCH 23rd, 2012
LETTER TO THE EDITOR ― MEDIA RELEASE
RESPONSE TO COQUITLAM CITY COUNCIL
THE TRI-CITY NEWS
COQUITLAM, PORT COQUITLAM, AND PORT MOODY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
THE TEMERITY OF COQUITLAM CITY COUNCIL
On March 23rd, 2012, the City of Coquitlam had the TEMERITY to ARBITRARILY GRANT a ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS for the Centennial Rose Garden, allowing it to use CHEMICALS FOR MERE COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT.
Coquitlam is currently PROPOSING a NEEDLESS, SENSELESS, and MALICIOUS PROHIBITION against the use of pest control products in the Urban Landscape under the FALSE PRETEXT that they are « potential carcinogens ».
Additionally, Coquitlam ARBITRARILY ALLEGES that the use of chemicals FOR MERE COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT is somehow NON-ESSENTIAL.
Nonetheless, Coquitlam ARBITRARILY GRANTED A ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS to Centennial Rose Garden WITHOUT ANY EXPERT VERIFICATION.
Since Centennial Rose Garden is a source of income for Coquitlam, of course the city councillors had ABSOLUTELY NO SCRUPLES regarding the ARBITRARY USE of CHEMICALS FOR MERE COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT … when it suited THEM !
According to the trade association that represented Centennial Rose Garden, the Fraser Pacific Rose Society, the use of chemicals FOR MERE COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT should be ARBITRARILY PERMITTED if Coquitlam ADOPTS TRANSITION CRITERIA.
In other words, a ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS can be UNVERIFIABLY and ARBITRARILY PROVIDED to Centennial Rose Garden, at least until it could TRANSITION to hardier and more disease-resistant varieties.
In essence, Coquitlam City Council ARBITRARILY GRANTED a ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS under the VAGUE PROMISE from Centennial Rose Garden that it will somehow someday TRANSITION to MORE DISEASE-RESISTANT VARIETIES.
And, THE PROBLEMS WITH INSECT PESTS WAS NEVER ADDRESSED.
Fraser Pacific Rose Society SKILFULLY AVOIDED TO DECLARE that its roses are also PERPETUALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO INSECT PESTS, and NOT JUST DISEASE PESTS.
Moreover, the ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS was ARBITRARILY GRANTED without ANY VERIFIABLE CRITERIA, such as a TIME LIMIT for plant replacement, nor was any CRITERIA provided to council as to WHICH VARIETIES would be chosen.
Coquitlam City Council CONVENIENTLY AVOIDED the fact that the use of chemicals for the PURPOSE OF MERE COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT should have been PROHIBITED … even for Centennial Rose Garden.
In order to be CONSISTENT and FAIR, there should be NO ARBITRARY EXCEPTION STATUSES for anyone.
In order to be CONSISTENT and FAIR, Coquitlam must PROHIBIT ALL chemicals from uses that include not only residential and commercial lawns, but also rose gardens, as well as agriculture, forestry, golf, mosquito control, nursery, sod production, and sports fields.
Nonetheless, it is now a PRECEDENT … Coquitlam has ESTABLISHED CRITERIA for the granting of a ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS.
The PRECEDENT implies that any property owner, or lawn care expert, who seeks an EXCEPTION STATUS for themselves, must be willing to promise that there will be a TRANSITION TO MORE PEST RESISTANT VARIETIES.
Furthermore, any ROSE EXCEPTION STATUS would imply that … if it is safe for children and adults to touch and hold pesticide-treated roses, it is also safe for them to walk and play on pesticide-treated golf facilities or lawn, IF THEY TRANSITION TO MORE PEST RESISTANT VARIETIES.
EXCEPTION STATUS FOR GOLF FACILITIES
Golf facilities in Coquitlam employ the VERY SAME INGREDIENTS that are used to control damaging pests of rose gardens.
In order to be CONSISTENT and FAIR, Coquitlam must provide NO EXCEPTION STATUS for golf facilities UNLESS there is a PROPOSAL that there will be a TRANSITION TO MORE PEST RESISTANT VARIETIES.
For example, ALL golf facilities in Coquitlam must be expected to TRANSITION their PUTTING GREENS from annual bluegrass to creeping bentgrass.
IMPROVED VARIETIES of creeping bentgrass are MORE RESISTANT TO PESTS than annual bluegrass, an invasive grass species that is HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO PESTS and requires MORE CHEMICALS FOR MERE COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT.
Furthermore, any GOLF EXCEPTION STATUS would imply that … if it is safe for children and adults to walk and play on pesticide-treated golf facilities, it is also safe for them to walk and play on pesticide-treated lawns, IF THERE IS A TRANSITION TO MORE PEST RESISTANT VARIETIES
If any GOLF EXCEPTION STATUS is ARBITRARILY GRANTED WITH NO TRANSITION CRITERIA, then the Professional Lawn Care Industry will be in a position to successfully launch LITIGATION against Coquitlam.
EXCEPTION STATUS FOR LAWN CARE
Golf facilities in Coquitlam employ the VERY SAME INGREDIENTS that are used to control damaging pests of residential and commercial lawns.
In order to be CONSISTENT and FAIR, Coquitlam must provide a LAWN EXCEPTION STATUS if residential and commercial property owners or lawn care experts submit a PROPOSAL that there will be a TRANSITION TO MORE PEST RESISTANT VARIETIES.
For example, there must be a TRANSITION from LESS IMPROVED varieties to MORE IMPROVED varieties of species like kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.
If a LAWN EXCEPTION STATUS is NOT GRANTED, then the Professional Lawn Care Industry will be in a position to successfully launch LITIGATION against Coquitlam.
NO EXCEPTION STATUS WITHOUT TRANSITION CRITERIA
If/when Coquitlam IMPOSES PROHIBITION, then there should be NO EXCEPTIONS without TRANSITION CRITERIA.
In order to be CONSISTENT and FAIR, Coquitlam must provide EXCEPTION STATUSES to residential and commercial lawns, rose gardens, agriculture, forestry, golf, mosquito control, nursery, sod production, and sports fields.
Of course, Coquitlam WILL NOT BE CONSISTENT AND FAIR.
Coquitlam is managing an INCONSISTENT, UNFAIR, SUBVERSIVE, and ARBITRARY ANTI-PESTICIDE CONSPIRACY.
There will be NO RECOURSE but LITIGATION against Coquitlam.
To support LITIGATION, NORAHG manages a VAST ARCHIVE of DOCUMENTS, AUDIO CLIPS, and VIDEOS on ALL SUBVERSIVE ANTI-PESTICIDE CONSPIRACIES, including those perpetrated in Coquitlam.
The purpose of this archive is to provide information that will lead to a successful LITIGATION against Anti-Pesticide Government Officials and Activists in the City of Coquitlam.
The NORAHG archive is AVAILABLE to anyone interested in LITIGATION.
When criminal charges for FRAUD and CONSPIRACY are laid, legal experts say that there is sufficient information to lead to a SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION !
For more information about CITY OF COQUITLAM – REFERENCES FOR LITIGATION, go to the following web-page …
http://wp.me/P1jq40-3Qv
WILLIAM H. GATHERCOLE AND NORAH G
NORAHG is the National Organization Responding Against HUJE that seek to harm the Green space industry.
https://pesticidetruths.com/
For more information, go to the following links …
https://pesticidetruths.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Force-Of-Nature-Letter-to-the-Editor-2012-03-23-No-Golf-or-Rose-Exception-Without-Transition-Criteria-Coquitlam-BC-RESPONSE-pdf1.pdf
and
https://pesticidetruths.com/2012/03/25/coquitlam-pesticide-ban-no-golf-or-rose-exception-status-without-transition-criteria-2012-03-23/