Gibsons council has joined efforts by North Shore municipalities to ban a form of rat poison from B.C. that kills rodents by causing them to bleed out.
In January, North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan wrote to Environment Minister George Heyman, asking the province to consider banning the substance.
“The use of anticoagulant rodenticides poses serious threats to B.C. wildlife and ecosystems through primary and secondary poisoning of non-target species, and have the potential to harm children and pets,” said the letter.
Buchanan said several North Shore owls fell “dangerously ill” after consuming the poison.
The request was made following a motion by North Vancouver council to ban the rat poison on municipal property, and to “communicate alternative pest control methods to residents and businesses.”
At a Feb. 2 regular council meeting, Gibsons councillors voted to support Buchanan’s letter to Heyman, and asked staff to report on whether and how the poison is used on town-owned property.
Prior to the resolution, councillors debated whether it makes sense to impose a ban on municipal property if it’s not used in the first place.
Mayor Bill Beamish said while he supported a ban, it wasn’t clear whether it’s used on town lands.
Coun. Annemarie De Andrade said she supported a ban whether it’s being used or not, and asked that an “education campaign” be launched to inform the public and request stores to avoid purchasing the product. “If the vendors don’t buy it, then we don’t have it here,” she said.
The town doesn’t have the authority to impose a blanket ban on all properties within the municipality.
Coun. Stafford Lumley said he preferred to find out whether it’s being used on town property and on the Sunshine Coast more broadly first before moving forward with an outright ban.
“It seems kind of silly to make a resolution and the town isn’t even using it,” he said, adding later he “wouldn’t have a problem with us saying we’re not going to use it.”
CAO Emanuel Machado said staff could report back on whether it’s used on town land.
Beamish then spoke in favour of taking a “broader approach” to support a province-wide ban, in part because “we don’t have jurisdiction to tell someone not to use it on private property.”
Coun. David Croal said he also favoured pushing for a province-wide ban while finding out whether and how it’s used on town property.
The districts of North Vancouver and West Vancouver imposed similar bans in 2020 – creating a safer haven for rodents, owls and other mammals on virtually all local government property on the North Shore. They also joined the City of North Vancouver in requesting its use be prohibited across the province.
At least 12 other B.C. municipalities have imposed bans of their own.
Anticoagulant rodenticides are a type of rat poison that inhibits the activation of Vitamin K, a key in the blood clotting process. Ingesting the poison causes the rodent to bleed out. It’s toxic to other mammals and bird species, according to the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab.
– with files from Elisia Seeber, North Shore News
