"frugal" wrote in message
om...
"Peter H" wrote in message
. cable.rogers.com...
"Peter H" wrote in message
e.rogers.com...
Well the wacos at Toronto City Hall have finally done it. Under the
leadership of the ill-informed and incredibly ignorant chair of the
board
of
health, Mr. Joe Mahevic the city has put together a bylaw that will
effectively ban the use of pesticides on lawns and golf courses within
the
city of Toronto.

The " Greenies " on council state that it is time for the citizens of
their
fine city to begin exploring alternatives to synthetic pesticides for
controlling weeds and insects on their lawns. Synthetic pesticides
such as
common weed spray which have been around for over 50 years now without
a
single documented problem concerning humans will be banned from use.
Exactly
what " organic " alternatives they see as a solution to the problems
wasn't
disclosed.

The city itself instituted it's own form of pesticide restrictions on
city-owned property a few years ago. Back then Jack Layton, the now
famous
leader of our NDP party, was just a humble city councilor at the time
and
spearheaded the move. Pesticide use by the public works department was
severely curtailed and we were assured by Jack that all would be
well.
Everything was fine, of course, for a few years. Now that Jack has
moved
on
to new challenges we are left with a city with parks and boulevards
that
are
all but destroyed. The cost to repair the damage will be astronomical.

The incredible irony in it all is that the city of Toronto is
currently
dumping pesticides down the storm sewers in an attempt to control the
mosquito population and gain control of the west nile virus. I guess
it's
ok
for the city to dump larvicide down the sewers and eventually out into
Lake
Ontario and eventually into our drinking water, but it's going to be a
crime
for me to spray my lawn with a weed spray that will only go on the
lawn
and
will completely decompose in 14 days leaving nothing behind but a few
dead
weeds.

If anyone wonders if what the " greeenies " say is true that "you can
keep
a
healthy, virtually weed-free lawn without the use of pesticides", you
should
take a drive through Toronto. The truth of the matter is that if you
simply
fertilize a lawn and don't treat the weeds the weeds will eventually
take
over.

Good luck with the new bylaw Toronto. I think you are going to need
it.

Peter H



I guess this is going to be one of those, " You don't know what you've
got
'till it's gone " things. In about 5 years when our parks, boulevards
and
even our lawns are destroyed perhaps common sense will prevail.

Peter H

Don't you suppose in 5 years it will be just like Hudson where it
seems pretty much everyone has embraced the idea and their is no
thought to consider reversing it? In fact one councillor was just
quoted (in the star?) as saying they'd be voted out if they overturned
the ban

I think in 5 years we will have all lost our lawns. I think in 5 years the
city of Toronto is going to look like New York City. It's going to be ugly.

Peter H