The new Environment Minister for Ontario is allowing an exemption under the pest control act.
What a joke these Liberal Ontario Environment Ministers are, they say one thing and do the other.
Wake up Wilkinson the pesticide ban is not working. It was a big mistake, you are not saving lives or the environment.
Vote Conservative to get this credulous Minister out. Ya I know its Gerretsens fault, right.
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Imidacloprid (Merit) for grubs – Minister Wikinson thinks it kills the bees (neonicitinoid)
2,4-D for weeds – Minister Wilkinson thinks its polluting the ground water and causes cancer
But he is allowing usage of these products for youths to play on.
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Organic Nematodes for Grubs and Fiesta for Weeds is a failure, why would they not use these alternative products to maintain their sports fields?
Alternative Products DO NOT WORK.
Environmental Factor sells Alternative Products that do not work.
The Environmentalists ensured Alternative Products worked when they argued for an Ontario Pesticide Ban
They were WRONG.
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Pesticide Use at UPI
The Ottawa-Carleton Ultimate Association has always committed to maintaining the UPI fields in as environmentally friendly a manner as possible. This commitment includes the proper use of irrigation, fertilizers and over seeding of the turf in an effort to keep the grass as strong and healthy as possible to minimize the invasion of weeds and other pests.
However, over time even these methods cannot fully prevent weed growth and pest infestation. Over recent years, the amount of clover and other broad-leaf weed coverage at UPI has become a problem. These weeds are not as resilient as turf grass. They do not stand up to the wear and tear put on a sports field so the fields can be left with large bare patches after hard use. Additionally, grub infestations have weakened the turf grass roots in some areas creating further problems. Left unchecked, these problem areas will become not just unsightly, but a safety issue for players, as they will lead to long term degradation of the playing surface.
The upcoming Canadian Ultimate Championships (CUC) being hosted at UPI in August has allowed the OCUA to receive an exemption from the Province of Ontario’s pesticide use ban. From John Wilkinson, Ontario Minister of the Environment:
Pursuant to subsection 29(4) of Ontario Regulation 63/09 under the Pesticides Act, I am of the opinion that the use of the pesticides are necessary for the hosting of the event and it is in the public interest to do so.
This exemption allows for the use of pesticides on sports fields in preparation for a national level sporting event like CUC. Along with a season-long program of additional fertilization and over seeding, a one-time application of pesticides is planned for UPI to strengthen the fields in preparation for this high-impact event.
On Thursday June 9th, an application of PAR III to control broadleaf weeds and Merit 0.5g to control grubs will be made at UPI (rain date of June 10th). Following Province of Ontario recommendations, there must be no use of the UPI fields for 72 hours after this application. We’re following all recommendations from Health Canada, the Province of Ontario, our contractor and the pesticide vendors to minimize environmental and human impact.
With this application, and the program of additional fertilization and over seeding, the turf grass at UPI will be able to withstand much higher traffic and be better able to withstand weed and other pest infestation on its own. The reduced weed and grub damage will also mean fewer bare patches and faster recovery after hard use. This will help reduce the chances of injury to players and allow OCUA members to enjoy great field conditions at UPI well into the future.
If you have any questions regarding this application, please contact Axel Garcia, Chair, OCUA Board at chair@ocua.ca, or Marcia Morris at ed@ocua.ca.
