Intro – Julie Fine

I’ve come to speak as a concerned citizen and mother.  My hope is that the city will enact a by-law to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides.  I am concerned about the short and long term effect of pesticides, particularly cosmetic on the health of our unborn babies, children, teenagers, adults, seniors, pets and wildlife.  I know that there are safe alternatives to synthetic lawn and garden pesticides.

I have a 1.5 year daughter.  We are outside, inside, on the ground, in the garden, on the grass, in the puddles and touching everything.  On any given day, she may touch something and then put her hand in her mouth 100 times.  I know that this hand to mouth activity increases her chance of ingesting pesticides and I worry.  I worry about how the pesticides may affect her system.  I know that children are especially vulnerable to the effects of pesticides.  They eat and drink more per kilogram of body weight when compared to adults.  Children’s skin is more permeable and their livers do not excrete as efficiently as adults. National Research Council, ibid. pp. 52-53. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Summary of Health Effects Research Program: Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children," July, 1995, p. 61

When my neighbour sprays her lawn with a “green grow” product, I wonder what effect the drift may have on my daughter’s long term health.  How will repeated exposure to pesticides affect her health? 

What is the connection between cancer and pesticides?  The Canadian Cancer Society support the call to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides.  Heather Logan, director of cancer control policy for this national organization states “There are studies to suggest with the use of pesticides, there is an increased risk of some specific types of cancer such as childhood leukemia, childhood brain cancer, adult leukemia, brain tumours and some lung cancers.”  This got me curious.  I looked on-line at the Canadian Cancer Incidence maps published by Health Canada.  For the period of 1994-2003, across all cancers, Manitoba rated the 2nd highest across Canada. (Statistics Canada)  This was based on the census data for the 1994-2003 period.  I was shocked.  What are we doing to our children? 

I think about what is tracked inside the house.  I know that some pesticides require sunlight to degrade and when inside, these pesticides become more persistent.  Based on a study by Lewis, indoor air was found to have much higher concentrations of pesticides than outdoor air -- a significant finding given that small children spend close to 90 percent of their time indoors.  Lewis, R., "Human Exposure to Pesticides Used in and Around the Household," U.S. EPA, Paper Prepared for the Task Force on Environmental Cancer and Heart and Lung Disease: Working Group on Exposure, August 20, 1989 How I can best protect my child?  I know that by reducing or eliminating as many known or suspected contaminants as possible from our air, water, soil, food and consumer products, I may be able to protect my daughter.  We eat organic food, use non-toxic products in our home, but what I can do about the environment around us? 

My husband and I have talked about moving away from Winnipeg, to a city like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal.  These places have cosmetic pesticide by-laws in place.  We can’t understand why 127 municipalities, including Brandon have enacted cosmetic pesticide by-laws in Canada, but that Winnipeg continues to permit the population to be exposed to known toxins.  We love Winnipeg.  We work here.  This is where our family and friends are, but we are concerned about our family’s health and the community of Winnipeg.  It’s time for Winnipeg to take action.  Please help make Winnipeg an environmentally safer community for all.  Enact a cosmetic pesticide by-law now!