King Township’s Council Passes Motion on Neonics
Posted: July 30, 2014
Categories: Food in the News
From The Corporation of the Township of King:
On July 7th, 2014, King Township’s Council passed a motion prohibiting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on any municipally owned properties. Councillor Schaefer put forward the motion regarding “Neonics and Honey Bees” on June 23rd, 2014, which was seconded by Councillor Eek.
The following is an extract from the Minutes of the Council Meeting that was held on July 7th, 2014:
7. NOTICE OF MOTION
7.1 At the Council Meeting of June 23rd, 2014, Councillor Schaefer put forward the following Motion regarding “Neonics and Honey Bees”, seconded by Councillor Eek:
Re: Neonics and Honey Bees
WHEREAS the municipality of King Township is committed to policy decisions that promote and support our vision of a sustainable future;
WHEREAS a robust, economically sound agricultural sector is critical for King Township’s sustainability because it is an important aspect of our cultural heritage which we treasure and because it is an important contributor to our economic goals;
WHEREAS one characteristic of a sustainable future is access to a secure food supply system;
WHEREAS our agricultural sector includes both corn and soybean growers, fruit and vegetable growers and practitioners of apiculture, both professional and hobbyist;
WHEREAS because honey bees fulfill a critical function as a pollinator for many fruits and vegetables, a threat to honey bees is a threat to the food supply for all;
WHEREAS neonicotinoid pesticides are often used by growers of corn and soybeans;
WHEREAS Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has determined that current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are affecting the environment due to their impacts on bees and other pollinators and as part of its process for determining a course of action conducted a public consultation process which closed December 12, 2013 and has not yet released an action plan;
WHEREAS the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, as Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food, commissioned a multi-faceted working group to identify and develop options for action to mitigate the risks from neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seeds on bee health and that group concluded their work February 28, 2014 with a report that included 14 options;
WHEREAS during the recent Provincial Election campaign, Premier Kathleen Wynne wrote to the Ontario Bee Association (OBA) that:
“The Ontario Liberals are committed to working with the agricultural and beekeeping sectors to (1) ensure full and equitable access to non-neonicotinoid treated seed for growers, and (2) establish a system that allows for targeted use of neonicotinoids only in production areas or production circumstances where these pesticides are actually shown to be required”
; and
“The OBA proposal to hold a targeted forum to develop recommendations and identify a pollinator health roadmap is one that a Liberal government would identify as a priority action to be undertaken within the first six weeks of being elected”;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
The Municipal Corporation of the Township of King:
1. That the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, be requested to honour the commitment made to the Ontario Beekeepers Association;
2. That King Township offer to provide a venue for the forum to be held within the next six (6) weeks to develop recommendations and to identify a pollinator health roadmap as promised by the Liberal Party during the provincial election campaign;
3. That information on the use of neonicotinoid treated seed as well as best management practices be provided on King Township’s Sustainable King website with a call to local farmers to seek out and utilize non-neonicotinoid treated seeds when they are preparing for their 2015 planting season and if use of neonicotinoid treated seeds is required to encourage best management practices are rigorously followed;
4. That King Township continues to demonstrate local leadership by confirming our continued commitment to the non-use of neonicotinoid products on any municipally owned properties;
5. This Resolution be circulated to other municipalities through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to request their support on this serious issue and further;
6. This resolution be forwarded to: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada; The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Federal Minister of Health; Federal MP Paul Calandra; The Honourable Kathleen Wynn, Premier of Ontario; The Honourable Jeff Leal, Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; and the newly elected MPP’s whose ridings include the Municipality of King Township, namely Dr. Helena Jaczek – MPP Oak Ridges Markham, and Julia Munroe – MPP York-Simcoe.
Motion Carried Unanimously.