May 25, 2026 – Buried in budget-related bills introduced in Parliament by the federal government in the spring of 2026 are provisions that weaken the protection of Canadians from exposure to harmful pesticides.
Since it first came into effect in June 2006, Canada’s Pest Control Products Act has set health protection as the foremost consideration of federal pesticide regulation. Now the government is proposing to allow federal cabinet to override restrictions placed on pesticides by regulators in cases where the continued use of a product is judged (in the view of cabinet) to be economically justified, despite known or suspected health risks.
In addition, scientific re-evaluations of pesticides, which have been previously required every 15 years, would be able to be set aside in favour of vague assessments that prioritize “national economic security, regional economic security or national food security.” These security-based criteria are not defined in the proposed legislation. And the new kinds of “assessments” would not involve public participation, as re-evaluations formerly did.
“The federal government is now quietly weakening the key law that is supposed to keep Canadians, and our ecosystems, safe from the dangers of these chemicals,” said Bronwyn Roe, Healthy Communities program director for the non-profit environmental law organization, Ecojustice. “People, pollinators, and the planet are all at risk from pesticide deregulation.” An Ecojustice blog and news release have further details.
Take Action to Keep the Regulatory Focus on Health Protection
Ecojustice has prepared a sign-on letter objecting to the proposed changes, to be sent to local Members of Parliament, the Ministers of Health, Environment and Finance, and to the Prime Minister. You can read, sign and send the letter here.
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