The community of Tracadie is concerned that Fredericton could use the Local Governance Commission Act to overturn its statute banning the use of glyphosate.

Tracadie passed a municipal ordinance in 2021 banning the use of glyphosate on its territory.

The community now fears the province will use the Local Governance Commission’s recently passed law to overturn the bylaw banning use of the controversial herbicide, one of the ingredients in the raid.

Pursuant to Section 20.1 of this Act, the Minister may, by Council Decision, revoke or amend an order if he deems it prevents the appropriate use of land for the intended purposes. This is a zoning. An order can also be revoked or changed if this is in the public interest.

According to Denis Losier, the blueberry project at the former Tracadie firing range could be a reason to drop the glyphosate regulation. The zoning changes the city wants to make to make the project impossible could also be a target of the Department of Local Government, he says.

“We currently have a concrete example with the government’s initiative to carry out a blueberry project on the former Tracadie shooting range. The community is against it, so are the citizens, so it worries us very much because it could probably be one of the decrees identified by the government,” says Mr Losier.

The Francophone Association of New Brunswick Municipalities (AFMNB) says it is closely monitoring the file. The organization has already labeled Section 20.1 of the law as undemocratic.

“If the government went that far, there was probably a reason,” says Yvon Godin, president of the AFMNB. This provision of the Local Governance Commission Act is primarily intended to protect industries such as blueberry farming and forestry companies.”

However, Yvon Godin sees no problem with Fredericton wanting to protect economic development in the province. The AFMNB particularly regrets that the new law gives excessive powers to the Department of Local Government.

“If the government decides that clear-cutting and everything related to the forest is a provincial responsibility, let that be spelled out in law.” is accepted at the federal level, this should be specified. But the power over all decrees worries us.”

Denis Losier hopes the movement against the blueberry project will continue in his community. He also wants citizens and communities across the province to challenge glyphosate use.

“If we turn a blind eye to this, what legacy will we leave to our children? There has to be a general movement, beyond Tracadie, to send a message to our provincial and federal elected officials,” he says.

The Department of Local Government did not respond to questions from Acadie Nouvelle.

A provincial project, answers Bleuet NB

Bleuet New Brunswick counters that Mayor Losier’s concerns are unfounded. Whether or not there is a municipal ordinance banning the use of glyphosate in Tracadie, it would have no impact on a potential blueberry project at the former firing range, land owned by the province.

“Crown lands are not managed by the City of Tracadie, but by the Province and the Minister of Natural Resources,” explains Donald Arseneault, General Manager of Bleuets NB. You can change the zoning or make a statute on glyphosate, that doesn’t apply. The Mayor of Tracadie is no doubt aware that the municipality has no authority over these lands.

Mr Arseneault also expressed confidence in the use of glyphosate in blueberry fields as it is an herbicide that is relatively underused in this type of crop.

He adds that as recently as June 15, Health Canada reiterated that “glyphosate poses no unacceptable risks to human health (including reproductive health, hormones, gastrointestinal health or cancer) or the environment (including biodiversity). .”

“Am I going to believe what Health Canada and all the scientists are saying or the thoughts of the Mayor of Tracadie? I prefer to rely on specialists,” says Mr. Arseneault.

However, in 2015, the World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations, classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen.

The Canadian government announced on Tuesday that it would ban the use of glyphosate on federal lands. When asked why the product was being phased out when Health Canada found it safe, Health Canada Secretary Jean-Yves Duclos replied, “What is not hazardous is not necessarily good for the environment and human health in the long term.”

“With glyphosate, as with all pesticides, we know because we just heard that the use, frequency, location and type of environment in which pesticides are used can have longer-term effects on what is found in the environment, especially on the diversity of species.” . And we know that some of those uses aren’t really necessary, and that’s why the use of cosmetics is being banned in federal territories.