Good day! I am the director…

Good day!

I am the director of Bee City Canada. I am not an expert on pesticides but I have read hundreds of papers this year alone from researchers around the world on the harmful effects of pesticides and in particular glyphosate, atrizine, neonicotinoids (the many varieties), fungicides and the hundreds or maybe it is even thousands or so other harmful chemicals that are in our environment. Many countries are banning glyphosates because of the direct link to cancer. There are hundreds of lawsuits before the judicial system suing corporations and winning. Have you checked with the provincial council to see that individuals and others could not sue the province for negligence in not banning these harmful compounds. Bees, pollinators and many insects are on the decline and on the verge of extinction. We simply cannot afford to make an error. So, if you are not 100% certain that the pesticides are not killing pollinators than we have no choice but to reduce and eventually eliminate their use.

Our efforts and energies should be helping farmers! The soil is terribly degraded, organic matter is at a record low, and desertification is a global concern. Regenerative Agriculture is what we need to support! Did you know there is a REIT in the USA that supports regenerative farmers paying investors interest? The Cooperators Insurance company knows all about expensive payouts to farmers from flooding and droughts and crop damage. Farmers will benefit by reducing costs (no need for expensive inputs), have healthier soil (rich in microbial life) which results in healthier plants, healthier animals and healthier people. And the best part, farmers will make more money. We will see a reduction in the mental health problems affecting farmers not only in this province but in Canada and around the world. How can we ignore the mental health crisis among our farmers!! Suicide rates are higher in farming communities than the national average.

General Mills is moving in this direction of purchasing grains and other bi-products from regenerative farmers. We were approached by an agronomist at General Mills wanting to partner with our Bee Cities in Quebec where they plan on helping dairy farmers support regenerative practices which include a biodiversity of grasses and other species to feed the cows. The are doing this in the US and in Saskatchewan. This practice produces a higher quality milk product (more fat and more protein). If a large corporation like General Mills is moving in this direction it is because there is money to be made.

Regenerative practices increases the organic matter which retains more water. The soil now acts like a sponge. Understand that for every 1% increase in soil organic matter, the soil can hold an additional 25,000 gallons of water per acre. And what about the ability for sequestering carbon....it is all there in thousands of research papers. When soil is very healthy there is no need for expensive inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides. Only these healthy soils can sequester carbon. These farms exist and they are making money.
Now is an opportunity for Ministers Hardeman and Yurek to shine and to make our FARMERS and our Premier the HEROES of ClIMATE CHANGE. Ontario could be the lead on this initiative in Canada and around the world. Farmers are the backbone of this country and our province. The farming community has always supported the conservative party and now is the time they need help. The big corporations don't vote for politicians, but the farmers do!

I am happy to put you in touch with all the experts like Gabe Brown, Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, John Kempf, Alan Williams, Dr. Elaine Ingram, Dr. Carole Anne Rollins, Dr. David Johnson and a host of others.

There are now close to 30 Bee Cities in Ontario, cities committed to protecting pollinators by planting native plants, trees and shrubs and converting our degraded lands to healthy areas for the close to 400 native bee species in Ontario. The other pollinators include wasps, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies and other insects as well. The honey bee is not native to this region. They were brought over by the Europeans for the honey and wax, and not for pollination (the process that results in fertilization). Because of our agricultural, monocrop system, we depend more on the honey bees, yet research is finding 40-50% of all pollination that takes place on the farms is due to native bees. The honey bees get all the attention but they are sick and dying because our soil and plants are contaminated with chemicals and there is little food (pollen and nectar) for these insects to eat. They have a weak immune system and so they self medicate by visiting hundreds of species of flowers that are found on plants, shrubs and trees. Over the last 50 years we have destroyed their pollen and nectar sources and they are now more susceptible to pathogens and other diseases. We need to rebuild the habitat quickly and yet there is no help from our provincial government. For the native bees the situation is worse and species, especially bumble bees species, are heading to extinction.
The bee was just voted the most important species on the planet which is why cities are joining the Bee City movement to protect pollinators. Shouldn't we expect the same from our provincial government?

I wish you well when you make your decisions. We can do something positive now and we can all do this together. The most important resource Ontario has is the soil and water and without pollinators there will be no seeds and no future for our children.

Kind regards,