The Communities Committee's first major campaign kicked off this January! The Pesticides Awareness Campaign began with the growing knowledge across Canada of the dangers of pesticide use. Concerns about environmental effects of pesticide use have been growing over the past decade. In May 2000 the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development released a report to Parliament, titled:

Pesticides: Making the Right Choice for the Protection of Health and the Environment

In the course of public hearings, the Committee heard compelling testimony that pesticides pose a threat to human health and the environment. The following quote is from a Government of Canada press release, describing the report's findings:

"Most witnesses were of the opinion that the use of pesticides for cosmetic, lawn-care purposes should be disallowed. Given what is known or suspected about the harmful effects of these products and given the purely esthetic purposes they serve, the Committee favours a ban on the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes."

The federal government has responded to this parliamentary report. In October 2000, Health Minister Allan Rock announced the release of an "Action Plan on Urban Use Pesticides". (ii)

Minister Rock's Action Plan has three main parts:

• A federal Healthy Lawns strategy
• Registration of new reduced-risk products
• Priority re-evaluation of the seven major pesticides used for lawn care using modern standards

The objectives of this campaign are to:

• Raise awareness of the issue of pesticide use;
• Promote the reduction of pesticide use for cosmetic and industrial use within the community of Revelstoke; and
• Promote environment-friendly alternatives for domestic users of pesticides

During the past summer, the NCES produced:

• Brochure to promote pesticide reduction
• Articles on how to reduce pesticide use.

We are still developing a portable educational display for use at community venues.

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