Pesticide Free Columbia Basin Coalition
Coalition attracts new members, gets new name
It’s an idea whose time is now.
The idea is to reduce the cosmetic use of pesticides and it’s sweeping the region. The District of Invermere made the news this year when it became the East Kootenay’s first municipality to adopt a bylaw limiting the cosmetic use of pesticides, thanks to efforts by the Pesticide Free Columbia Valley Coalition.
From “valley” to “basin”
The Pesticide Free Columbia Valley Coalition started just two years ago, in 2007.
Invermere and Golden were first on board, thanks to Wildsight, the Canadian Cancer Society and other groups in each community. Kimberley, another Wildsight branch community, had also started a Pesticide Free group.
The coalition’s work has been noticed by other communities. Groups in Cranbrook, Nelson and Fernie have asked to join forces and collaborate with Invermere, Golden and Kimberly on their great initiatives.
Now it’s called the Pesticide Free Columbia Basin Coalition.
“We’ve decided to coordinate efforts, share our tools and knowledge base and move forward together,” said Rachel Darvill, Wildsight’s Columbia Headwaters program coordinator. Darvill and Heather Leschied, Wildsight’s Lake Windermere program manager in Invermere, know a lot about coordinating efforts. The two women have inspired the people they work with so much that they recently received Community Champion awards from the Canadian Cancer Society.
Advantages of working together
One of the big advantages to new member groups is the selection of resource materials originally created by Wildsight and the Pesticide Free Columbia Valley coalition. There are lawn signs, brochures, stickers and a website with lots of information. (The website is in the process of being updated to include new members.)
“People are interested in the things we’ve been producing and how we’ve been doing our outreach,” Darvill said. “The Healthy Lawn and Garden fairs, the brochures, lawn signs, stickers — these tools help encourage more of an awareness that coincides with a reduction in pesticide use.
“When there’s more of a visible presence, people see they’re not alone in taking action, that we’ve got a bigger active coalition all over the Columbia Basin.”
One ultimate goal for coalition members is to inspire their municipal governments to follow Invermere’s example and adopt a bylaw banning the cosmetic use of pesticides.
Coalition members in Kimberley, Golden and Fernie have made presentations to municipal councils asking for bylaws.
But before any more bylaws are adopted, Darvill said, further public outreach has to be done. And that’s where the resource materials will become so useful.
How to support Pesticide Free Columbia Basin
“Right now, coalition members include mostly organizations and businesses,” Darvill said. “We want people to know that individuals are welcome to join as well—their support is invaluable as we move forward.”
Individuals can e-mail Rachel to sign up (there is no charge to join.)
“Also, look for our new brochure, Healthy Lawns and Gardens in the Columbia Basin,” Darvill said. “We are distributing it in the Columbia Basin, but if you haven’t seen it, you can e-mail me and I’ll send you one.”
The brochure is filled with good information about pesticide-free lawn and garden care that even experienced gardeners might be unaware of, so it’s worth a look.
Contacts
Invermere
Heather Leschied • Program Manager, Wildsight
250-341-6898 • heather@wildsight.ca
Golden
Rachel Darvill • Columbia Headwaters Program Coordinator, Wildsight
250-344-4961 • rachel@wildsight.ca
Cranbrook
Patti Moore • Community Action Coordinator – Kootenay Region Canadian Cancer Society • 250-426-8916 • pmoore@bc.cancer.ca
Fernie
Bill Silversides • Director • Wildsight Elk Valley • wssides@elkvalley.net
Nelson
Jennie Barron • Kootenay Citizens for Alternatives to Pesticides • jenerik@netidea.com
Kimberley
Helen Sanders • Kimberley/Cranbrook Program Manager • kimcran@wildsight.ca
