force of nature -- media report -- british columbia...

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William H. Gathercole & Norah G. [email protected] Force of Nature Media Report.

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Pesticide Free Columbia Valley

Web Site

Retrieved in AApprr ii ll 22000099

FFeebbrruuaarr yy 2255 tt hh ,, 22000099 First of its kind in East Kootenay history; expert organic gardener to give talks Invermere, B.C. — On FFeebbrr uuaarryy 2244, the District of Invermere became the first community in the East Kootenay to adopt a cosmetic pesticide use bylaw. The bylaw bans the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes in the Invermere district. “This council showed true leadership,” said Heather Leschied, Wild-sight’s Lake Windermere Project manager. “This bylaw will help create a healthier environment and community.” Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft stands behind the bylaw : “The District of In-vermere has passed the bylaw and we will work to promote education as far as alternatives, eventually leading to enforcement.” Leschied said the bylaw itself didn’t happen overnight. “There has been a lot of public education and cooperation since we started the Pesticide Free Columbia Valley Coalit ion in 2007,” she said.

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The coalition, which includes the Canadian Cancer Soci-ety, Wildsight, the District of Invermere and others, has done several things to get the message across. “We hosted events, gave out brochures, put up lawn signs and wrote articles,” Leschied said. “And it all helped. I think this community is ready for the bylaw.” To help residents go pesticide–free, the coalition will bring in Carole Ruben, author of How to Get Your Lawn and Garden Off Drugs, for a series of talks this spring. (See below for dates.) Ruben’s book is a classic in the field of organic gardening without harmful pesticides. “Carole will share the ‘how–tos’ of going pest icide–free,” Leschied said. “She’s helped lots of people make the transition to healthier lawns and gardens.” Leschied hopes other communities will follow Invermere’s example. “There are pesticide–free init iatives in Fernie, Golden, Kimberley, Nelson and Cranbrook,” she said. “We just want to say : Hang in there ! It ’s worth it. “People can visit www.pesticidefree columbiavalley.ca,” Leschied said, “to find out about safe alternatives to pest icides.”

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Coalition chair Marion Stotts said, “I’d like to congratulate the Mayor and Councillors of the District of Invermere on being the first mu-nicipality in the East Kootenay to adopt a bylaw that bans the use of cosmetic pesticides. “I’d also like to thank the members and supporters of the Pesticide Free Columbia Valley coalition who for nearly two years have con-tributed their time and energy to raising awareness in our community about the risks of pest icide exposure and what we can do in our families, neighbourhoods and community to make a difference.” Stotts is advocacy leader of the Canadian Cancer Society Columbia Valley Unit.

Supplemental information : Carole Ruben

DATES: (Times and venues to TBA) Fernie – Monday, April 27th Cranbrook – Tuesday, April 28th Invermere – Thursday, April 30th Golden – Friday, May 1st Nelson – Monday, May 4th

About the bylaw “Not all pest control substances are to be banned from use under the bylaw,” Leschied said.

“A cosmetic pesticide bylaw does not apply to pesticides used in swimming pools, inside an enclosed building, for purification of wa-ter, to control or destroy animals or plants which constitute a dan-ger for human beings, forestry or agriculture, or noxious weed con-trol.”

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152 Canadian municipalities have successfully enacted cosmetic pesticide by-laws. Communities range in size from Cumberland, BC (pop. 2,700) to Toronto, Ontario (pop. 2.5 million) and the entire province of Quebec (pop. 3.1 million)

About the Pesticide Free Columbia Valley Coalition The coalition was formed in AAuu gguusstt 22000077. It is a group of citizens, organiza-tions and businesses from Invermere, Golden, and surrounding communities. Members and supporters include the Canadian Cancer Society, Wildsight, In-terior Health, the Columbia Valley Botanical Gardens and Centre for Sustain-able Living, as well as physicians, parents, environmentalists, and gardeners who share a vision of reducing the cosmetic use of pesticides in our communi-ties.

About Wildsight Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally to protect biodiversity and en-courage sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and southern Rocky Mountain region. This area is internationally recognized as a keystone to con-servation in western North America. For more information, please visit www.wildsight.ca.

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Contact Heather Leschied, Program Manager Wildsight • 250–341–6898 [email protected] • www.wildsight.ca Patti Moore, Community Action Coordinator – Kootenay Region Canadian Cancer Society • 250–426–8916 [email protected] • www.bc.cancer.ca

About Wildsight We care about our home. Not just the homes we live in, but the ecological home that supports all life, all industry and all of us. That’s why we work hard for healthy human communities and healthy wild spaces here, in Canada’s Co-lumbia and Rocky Mountains ecoregions. Our home. We focus on three core areas: The southern Canadian Rocky Mountains; The upper Columbia River Valley; The Columbia Mountains. This land, its mountains, glaciers, watersheds and wetlands, need special at-tention because they are among the most ecologically–rich in the world. They are home to us and home to Western North America’s most diverse large mammal populations — the Crown of the Continent. Together, this land pro-vides critical genetic connectivity.

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Our actions

Advocate We advocate protecting our region’s ecological values, because protecting these values protects the long–term viability of our communities.

Strengthen We work with other groups — including First Nations, government and indus-try — because our work is more effective when environmental protection is supported by a broad constituency.

Participate We join in government and community processes because biodiversity deserves a voice at all land–use tables.

Communicate We organize outreach programs and media campaigns because public under-standing, pride and education leads to more support for the wise use of our land base.

Partner We partner with environmental organizations from B.C., the U.S.A. and all over the world because local work is most effective when it ties in with provincial and international strategies.

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Educate We create and deliver educational programs to schools and the public, because we believe in positive people power, and children are our future.

Research We take part in and help coordinate scientific research programs on endan-gered species such as mountain caribou and on water quality. We do this be-cause to ensure what we do is scientifically sound.

Quick Links Our home is your home. Feel free to look around our website. Sign up to receive the regular free Wildsight eNewsletter here. Become a member. Read the latest news. Volunteer. Donate. Canada's Columbia and southern Rocky Mountain region is our home. Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally. Wildsight helps protect biodi-versity. Wildsight helps create sustainable communities. We do it to care for our home.

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Quote adapted from the film Planet of the Apes.

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FFoorrccee ooff NNaattuurree was launched for continuous transmission on the Internet on January 1st, 2009. It is a series of e–newsletters destined for the GGrreeeenn SSppaaccee IInndduussttrryy, the eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall mmoovveemmeenntt, politicians, municipalities, and the media, nation–wide across Canada, and parts of the United States. FFoorrccee ooff NNaa--ttuurree is produced in two parts. First. The MMeeddiiaa RReeppoorrtt itself that reports on the current events affecting the future of the GGrreeeenn SSppaaccee IInndduussttrryy.. Second. IInnddeeppeennddeenntt PPeerrssppeeccttiivvee.., which is a running com-mentary, sometimes also of a more technical in nature. FFoorr ccee ooff NNaattuurr ee is the brainchild of William H. Gathercole and his entourage. The opinions ex-pressed in these e–newsletters, even though from an independent perspective, may not reflect those of everyone in the GGrr eeeenn SSppaaccee II nndduusstt rr yy, or Mr. Gathercole’s many associates. Be warned ! Mr. Gath-ercole and his team may sometimes be very irreverent and fearless with these e–newsletters. William H. Gathercole holds a degree in Horticulture from the UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff GGuueellpphh, and another pure and applied science degree from MMccGGiill ll UUnniivveerrssiittyy. He has worked in virtually all aspects of the GGrreeeenn SSppaaccee IInndduussttrryy, including public affairs, personal safety, and environmental issues. Mr. Gathercole has been a consultant and instructor for decades. Mr. Gathercole has been following the evolution of eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall tteerrrroorr iissmm for over a quarter–century. His involvement in environmental issues reached a fevered pitch in the 1990s, when he orchestrated, with others, legal action against unethical and excessive municipal regu-lations restricting the use of pest control products. ( i.e. the Town of Hudson. ) Although he can be ac-cused of being aannttii––eennvviirroonnmmeenntt––mmoovveemmeenntt, he is, in fact, simply a strong advocate for the GGrreeeenn SSppaaccee IInndduussttrryy. However, this position has not precluded him from criticizing the industry itself. Nonetheless, his vast knowledge of our long journey with environmental issues is uunnddeenniiaabbll ee. ( Hopefully ! ) For many years, Mr. Gathercole has been a contributing columnist for TTUURRFF && RReeccrr eeaattiioonn Maga-zine, Canada’s Turf and Grounds Maintenance Authority. All pictures contained in FFoorr ccee ooff NNaattuurr ee were found somewhere on the Internet. We believe that they are in the public domain, as either educational tools, industry archives, promotional stills, publicity photos, or press media stock. Information presented in FFoorr ccee ooff NNaattuurr ee has been developed for the education and entertain-ment of the reader. The events, characters, companies, and organizations, depicted in this docu-ment are not always fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, may not be coin-cidental. The following titles are currently available. (Or, will be available in the near future.) ● Alberta Pro-hibition. ● British Columbia Prohibition. ● Burnaby B.C. Prohibition. ● Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. ● Consequences ● David Suzuki Foundation. ● Death and the Environmental Movement. ● Golf and Landscape Trade Industries. ● Kazimiera Jean Cottam. ● Kelowna B.C. Prohibition. ● New Brunswick Prohibition. ● Ontario Prohibition. ● Organic Fer-tilizers. ● Pets and Lawn Care Chemicals. ● Prince Edward Island Prohibition. ● Quebec Prohibi-tion. ● Richmond B.C. Prohibition. ● Saint Catharines Ontario. ● Salmon Arm B.C. Prohibition. ● The 9/11 Era of the Green Space Industry. ● The Failure of Integrated Pest Management. ● The Wisdom of the Solomons. ● Victoria B.C. Prohibition. ● White Rock B.C. Prohibition. ● Wis-consin Fertilizer Prohibition. ● AASSKK FFOORR AA CCOOPPYY OOFF AANNYY BBAACCKK IISSSSUUEE TTOODDAAYY..

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