Media Release: Superior Court Dismisses Industry Challenge of Toronto Pesticide By-law

Media Release

Today, the Superior Court dismissed Crop Life Canada’s application challenging City of Toronto By-law 456-2003 to prohibit the use of pesticides. Crop Life Canada is an industry body that represents the manufacturers of pesticide products.

“We are absolutely delighted that the Ontario court has followed the lead of the Supreme Court of Canada in finding that municipalities have the power to protect citizens from the risks of pesticides,” said Jerry DeMarco, Managing Lawyer of the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, who represented the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and World Wildlife Fund Canada in the case.

“This confirms that the City of Toronto can protect public health by restricting the cosmetic use of pesticides. This is a great day for Toronto,” said Paul Muldoon, Executive Director of Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), who represented the Toronto Environmental Alliance, the Canadian Association of Physicians, and CELA in the case.

“For the second time, the pesticide industry tried and failed to derail the protection of health and the environment in favour of their bottom line,” stated Rich Whate of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. “Now other Ontario municipalities have a clear green light to pass similar bylaws.”

Justice W.P. Somers ruled that the Toronto By-law is legal under the Ontario Municipal Act and does not conflict with provincial or federal pesticide legislation.

-30-

For further information contact:

Toronto Environmental Alliance: 416-596-0660, Rich Whate or Katrina Miller
Canadian Environmental Law Association: 416-960-2284, Paul Muldoon (ext. 219) or Theresa McClenaghan (ext. 218)
Sierra Legal Defence Fund: 416-368-7533, Jerry DeMarco (ext. 29)