Canadian pesticide use is regulated through a system shared by federal, provincial and municipal governments. Together, these three levels of government oversee various acts, regulations, guidelines, directives and bylaws. At all levels, however, regulators are working together towards the common goal of helping to protect Canadians from any risks posed by pesticides and ensuring that pest control products do what is claimed on the label.
The federal government evaluates and registers pesticides through the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) and Regulations, which is enforced by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). All pesticides must be registered to be imported into, or sold or used in Canada. For more information, refer to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. The registration is systematically re-evaluated (every 15 years) on the basis of new available data regarding environmental and human health risks. Based on the assessment, the pesticide can be phased-out or removed from the Canadian market; its use may be restricted for certain applications or other measures may be taken to increase the level of protection (e.g. modification of maximum residue limits and the label information). See the Health Canada Re-evaluation Work Plan 2015-2020.
Provincial and Territorial governments are responsible for the sale, use, storage, transportation and disposal of registered pesticides, as well as training, certification and licensing of applicators, vendors and growers within their province/territory. Provincial and territorial governments are also responsible for issuing permits, responding to spills and accidents and the classification of pesticides for sale and use within their province/territory. Note that in most provinces/territories, anyone who sells or applies pesticides must be trained and certified - consult your local Ministry of Agriculture and/or Ministry of Environment for certification details. For more information, please consult the Consumer Product Safety section of the Health Canada web site.
Municipal / Local governments set bylaws for municipal (and often includes private and residential) lands regarding the use of pesticides. For example, many municipalities have banned the "cosmetic use" of pesticides (lawn, turf and garden pesticides used primarily to make a lawn/garden look more attractive). Before you apply any pesticide to your private property, check your local by-laws to see what products, if any, are allowed.