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Reward (Diquat) Pesticide Spraying Update

Wednesday July 17, 2024

Hello Jack Lakers,
 
We reached out to you last week to let you know that on behalf of six Jack Lake property owners, Peerless Turfcare and Aquacare (1410035 Ontario Inc.), applied to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) for a pesticide permit for the spraying of Reward (Diquat) into our lake's waters this season and that the permit had been approved.
 
You may recall that Peerless Turfcare and Aquacare was charged last year for violating the Pesticides Act by not adhering to the label instructions for Reward Aquatic Herbicide in 2021 and was convicted of one violation under the Pesticides Act and fined $6,000, plus a victim fine surcharge of $1,500. (More details to be found in the Summer 2024 issue of Smoke Signals.)
 
 
Until the Province begins rejecting these applications for permits, the spraying of chemicals into our lake remains legal and an option available for weed reduction to Jack Lake property owners. Our goal is to educate and advocate for alternative, chemical-free methods to remove invasive species like Eurasian Milfoil.
 
As a reminder, the European Union (EU) has banned the use of Diquat since 2019, due to concerns about its adverse effects on humans and on aquatic life.  
 
The JLA Board Directors have been engaged in related advocacy efforts over the past few years. Some of our efforts include requesting permitting details, advocating for alternative weed mitigation, educating lakers on the documented negative effects of pesticide application - particularly when yearly re-application is required due to treatment inefficacy - and sending letters to various government agencies regarding how to mitigate the impact of Diquat on our lake’s environment and wildlife.  
 
The JLA exists to connect with our members, conserve Jack Lake for future generations and take care of the gift we all share. With your support, we will continue to advocate for the safety of our water, and the conservation of our lake, and as such, we are actively preparing further inquiries with various agencies in the Federal government to see what additional avenues, if any, we have available to us.
 
As a follow up to this outreach, we will be surveying JLA members to determine your degree of comfort in having the JLA Board advocate directly with our respective municipal, provincial and federal governments for better lake and environmental protections. We also invite you to advocate as individuals by using any of the following contact information: