Episode IV- A New Hope

Normally with a title like this you'd expect a retro discussion of the Star Wars saga, but no, this does pertain to lawn-care or the potential future of it.

Sometime ago we sent the PC Provincial government a proposal for an amendment to the Liberals poorly executed cosmetic pesticide bylaw.

In the proposal we outlined the discriminatory nature of the current bylaw.
How it is being circumvented by homeowners and lawn-care providers alike, and how in letting the bylaw continue in its current form was costing the province millions in lost tax revenue going state-side or to other Provinces as well as the increase use of the health care system with respiratory ailments on the increase.

We recommended that in an amendment, only licenced professionals be allowed to apply class 4 products which would eliminate lawn-care technicians with minimal training.

That annual reports of usage be submitted to prevent overuse and perhaps applications be restricted to spring only to limit overuse.

Well, our latest response from the Ministry of the Environment-which just so happens to be the fourth in our correspondence-assure fairness for all when government returns to session October 28th (just before Halloween, and that's scary.)

Good news? Bad news?

Are they going to allow those who worked hard to achieve a licence, and build their businesses, the opportunity to use the proper tools again or are they going to ban everything across the board?

I tend to put my trust in hope and common sense. Hope that my words have awakened the sensibility or reason and compromise. Common sense, that the government isn't going to do something as rash as denying all.

Do they really want to mess with the Farmers, the deep pockets of the Golf Industry and allow invasive species of weeds to run rampant across infrastructure? I would certainly hope not.

I also don't think people would stand for rolls of sod coming with weeds embedded, or the loss of curb appeal to Queen's Park and other government entities.

So let us place our energy in a positive outcome, and hope that the lawn care industry can begin to grow again instead of contract.

Lets hope next May when the weeds start to rear their ugly yellow heads we have something more potent than harsh language, and May the force will be with us.