Making amends

I'm not one to dance on someone's grave, but I must admit there was a fair bit of tap-dancing at the Liberal's crushing defeat in the recent Provincial election.

With a blue majority back in town there is hope, (however small), an amendment to the cosmetic pesticide bylaw might be on the table.

Now, before you swing your arms up in protest, I'm not expecting carte blanche for the lawn care industry. I don't advocate a return to the days where everyone and their mother had access to 2-4-D.
I do however, expect equality where the lawn care industry is given exemption under the bylaw and  to be included with the likes of the farmers, the golf industry, sod growers and forestry who already benefit from exemption status.

I would love to be able to offer my customers absolutes and guarantees again and put an end to the creeping weeds that now dominate the home landscape.

In fact, why not make it so only licenced professionals are allowed to apply the products. This would assure an army of students, with one day of training, wouldn't be spraying your lawn.

And if it means I have to fill out an annual report on my usage and operate under IPM protocols only, I am happy to do so. These are concessions I am willing to make.

We are talking a less than 4% increase in pesticides already in use to save a struggling industry, perhaps a decrease in health related incidents from allergies and I can stop watching Fiesta and its iron-base weed control eat my equipment from the inside out.

Maybe I'm dreaming, like when you buy a lottery ticket and think of what might be, but for now, it's a possibility that makes me smile and dream on.