Anti-Pesticides Campaign

The focus of this campaign is to reduce toxic pesticides in our ecosystems. Sierra Victoria advocates for legislation and by-laws that restrict the non-essential use of pesticides, and promotes education programs that provide information to the public on alternative methods for managing pests.We have been instrumental in persuading the municipalities of Victoria, Esquimalt and Oak Bay to pass bans on "cosmetic" pesticides - ones used on urban lawns and gardens.

The Sierra Club Victoria Group is a member of Pesticide-Free CRD and Pesticide-Free BC.

The BC government is currently considering banning the sale and use of chemical pesticides on lawns and gardens. Dozens of BC communities have already banned local use, and opinion polls show British Columbians don't believe the health and environmental risks posed by chemical pesticides for non-essential, "cosmetic" uses are worth taking.

In November 2011, Sierra Victoria made a submission to the B.C. Government's Special Committee on Pesticides in favour of a ban of non-essential pesticides. Organisations such as the Canadian Cancer Society also favour such a ban.