[OPIRG-EVENTS] Fw: Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa

["Krishna E. Bera" <keb@Cyblings.ON.CA>]

=== begin forwarded message ===

Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 14:45:10 -0400 
From: "Wellman, Mari" <Marie.Wellman@ottawa.ca>
Subject: Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa


[...]
We had a successful first meeting of CHO (Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa).
[...]

The next meeting of CHO will be held on:
Thursday, August 7, 2003
6:30 to 8:30 PM
Maki House at 19 Leeming Drive

To get to Leeming Drive, go west on Carling Avenue, past Andrew Haydon Park,
past Dick Bell Park. Shortly after on the left hand side is Crystal Beach
Drive. Turn left and the first left will be Leeming Drive. Hope to see you
there on the 7th.

I will be emailing you several notices early next week on more workshops by
the City, the WNv Registry form, CHO membership forms, and there may be
others that we can't remember right now. 
[...]

[Background / excerpt from minutes]

2.	A little history: Mari Wellman reviewed the recent events leading up
to the present meeting, including the new voluntary pesticide reduction
strategy adopted by the City of Ottawa in December 2002, instead of the
by-law which many had hoped and worked for; Toronto's recent adoption of a
by-law; the need to continue to educate the public and lobby city
councillors on the need for a ban, in order to protect the environment and
public health.

3.	Mandate of CHO : Eric Thomas proposed a formal mandate for the CHO.
It was adopted, with minor changes. The mandate is as follows:  

The Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa (CHO) is a coalition of health care
professionals, health agencies, community organizations and individuals
working to reduce the cosmetic use of pesticides in Ottawa.

The CHO seeks to achieve this objective by:
			*	Creating the environment where non-toxic
pest control methods are the norm
			*	Encouraging users of toxic pesticides to
switch to safer alternatives
			*	Advocating for the adoption of a by-law
restricting pesticide use for cosmetic pruposes in urban Ottawa
The CHO endorses the City of Ottawa policy restricting cosmetic pesticide
use on municipal property, which states:  "Public health is the primary
determinant as to whether or not a toxic substance shall be used in urban
areas of the City of Ottawa. Pesticide use shall be limited to cases where
the health risks of application of the pesticide are clearly less than the
risk to human health resulting from no action, and where the pesticide to be
used poses less risk to health than any other practical method of solving
the problem."

The co-chairs of CHO are Diane Holmes, former Regional councillor;  Dr. Alex
MacKenzie, Director of the Research Institute, CHEO; and Dr. Joe Reisman,
Head of Pediatrics, CHEO.

To fulfill this mandate, we will need to increase the membership, bring in
funds, and develop a strategy to make pesticides an issue in the next
municipal election.

[...]

=== end forwarded message ===
[edited for posting. -keb]
-
This is the OPIRG-events@ox.org list. Participatory activist events only.
To unsubscribe, send email to opirg-events-request@ox.org, and put
"unsubscribe" in the body.
Archive at: http://www.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca/lists/html/opirg-events/