Toronto begins pesticide public education campaign
By Adnews Staff
The City of Toronto has begun an ad campaign aimed at residents that uses the tagline "Go natural. Reduce pesticides." The public education campaign, scheduled to coincide with Earth Day and the start of the gardening season, will seek to provide Toronto residents will information about lawn care without the use of pesticides. The newspaper ads describe four techniques for growing a natural lawn: "Aerate and seed. Water wisely. Pull weeds. Fertilize naturally." "Go Natural" point-of-purchase displays have also been installed at approximately 120 gardening and hardware stores in Toronto. These displays will distribute more detailed information about natural gardening for consumers to take home. Also, city staff will visit participating retail outlets on weekends during May to answer questions from customers. Other campaign elements include advertising in multi-language media outlets and community-based education sessions. "We want residents to get the message that the City is working with them to reduce pesticides and protect the health of our community," said David McKeown, Toronto's medical officer of health. "We are backing this up with practical, how-to advice for all those gardeners getting ready for the growing season." Toronto City Council recently adopted a by-law restricting the use of pesticides on public and private property.