The focus of the Children’s Environmental Health project has been on the cosmetic or non-essential use of pesticides. This is one of the most contentious and divisive issues facing communities across Canada today. The recent Supreme Court of Canada decision affirming the right of municipalities to restrict the use of pesticides on both public and private property has further fueled the interest in restrictive municipal by-laws. [Full text of Supreme Court decision – Dec 6, 2001 Media Release: “Anti-Pesticide By-Law” ] http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/pub/2001/vol2/html/2001scr2_0241.html.

The City of Toronto is presently strategizing the phase-out of lawn pesticide use, while the Province of Quebec is defiantly moving forward with its own province-wide restrictive legislation. Unfortunately, Bill C-53, a bill update to the 33 year-old Federal Pest Control Products Act, died with parliamentary prorogue. http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/c-53/c-53_1/C-53TOCE.html

2002 Project Highlights

• Committee work and Networking
• Toronto-based urban pesticide policy ad hoc working group contributor
• Book proposal: The Citizen’s Guide to Lawn Pesticides by Bruce Lofquist
• Children’s health and urban pesticides presentations
• Hamilton Public hearings – January 2002
• City of Toronto “Stakeholder Forums” participant — strategizing the phase-out of non-essential uses of pesticides — Toronto — Jan & June 2002
• Environmental Studies Association — Ninth Annual Conference Toronto – June 2002
• Global Forum II – Children’s Health and the Environment – Washington DC – Sep 2001
• Person’s Day – The Women’s Intercultural Network – Toronto – Oct 2001
• “Home Hazards — Residential Pesticides Pose Threats to Children’s Health” by Bruce Lofquist in **Alternatives** Journal — Special Children’s Health Edition – Winter 2001 http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/alts.htm

Bruce H. Lofquist is a member of the Official Board of IICPH and Chair of the Children’s Environmental Health Project.