The City of St. John’s is disappointed that a group protesting the province’s spraying of Tordon 101 to control brush along roadsides, calling themselves the Tordon Players, recently picked Bannerman Park in the city to stage their event.
Mayor Dennis O’Keefe said in a news release today, the city hasn’t used cosmetic pesticides on its playgrounds and sports facilities since 1998 and has been a leader in the province calling for a ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides.
“It was very disappointing to see the images of the Tordon Players in Bannerman Park as I feel that has given residents the wrong impression that we are using pesticides in our playgrounds, which we do not do,” said O’Keefe. “The city has been a leader in support of a ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides in this province. While we also support residents freedom to protest, if this group was protesting the province’s use of Tordon 101 on provincial highways, then Bannerman Park was a very inappropriate backdrop, particularly a children’s playground.”
The City of St. John’s has more than 100 outdoor recreation and playground facilities, which are all maintained without the use of cosmetic pesticides.
O’Keefe said considering it’s been 15 years since the city has used any type of cosmetic pesticide, staff in its public works and parks department are to be commended because the city’s facilities are “beautiful and incredibly well maintained.”
He said the lawns, sporting fields and gardens throughout the city are a testimony to the fact that you don’t need to use cosmetic pesticides to achieve outstanding landscaping.
Editorial changes have been made to this article.
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