Steinbach city council has unanimously approved a resolution that renews its call on the Manitoba Government to end the ban on pesticides for cosmetic use. Deputy Mayor Michael Zwaagstra introduced the resolution saying it is important for the city to reiterate this message ahead of the annual meeting of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities next week. He explains why the city wants the right to use pesticides as it did before the ban was introduced four year ago.

"We see the effects of the pesticide ban, which has been in place since 2015. The reality is, is that there are a lot more weeds in city parks and sports fields than before and that's because the replacement products are not as effective as traditional products such as Par 3. As a city, we believe that municipalities should be able to decide for themselves what type of weed control to use. The costs of the alternatives that we've had to use are more than double, so we're paying more than double for less effective weed control and that's just simply not acceptable. We need to have the best weed control possible and that requires a change to the current ban that's in place."

Zwaagstra adds, effective pesticides like Par 3 have been approved by Health Canada as being safe so the ban does not make sense.

"They are safe for use when they are applied properly. So, as long as the instructions are followed, Health Canada says these products can be used safely by people."