A new Nanaimo bylaw limiting residential and city pesticide use comes into effect next month.
Adopted on April 26, 2010, New Pesticide Use Bylaw No. 7102 limits pesticides allowed on cosmetic gardens and lawns. The bylaw will prohibit many previously unregulated chemicals in an attempt to halt the negative health and environmental impacts of excess pesticide runoff into rivers and wetlands.
The Nanaimo Horticultural Society will hold a public information session and expert panel on the new rules at their Wednesday meeting.
City of Nanaimo environmental planner Rob Lawrence and the city’s head gardener, Gail Pasaluko, will speak about bylaw specifics. Lawrence said they will discuss when and where the bylaw applies, remind people it will be enforced April 4, 2011, and give ideas about alternate gardening practices.
The city has used the last year to educate the public and make changes to its own gardening procedures on public property.
Betty Murray, vice-president of the Nanaimo Horticultural Society, said the key to having a healthy garden without pesticides comes down to soil, planting the right plants in the right place and using organic matter like compost.
The meeting will be Wednesday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Nanaimo Ecumenical Centre, 6234 Spartan Rd., and there is a $3 entrance fee. The city website www.nanaimo.ca/goto/pesticidefree has more bylaw and pesticide information.
via New pesticide bylaw will be enforced in April.
