By Zak Nicholls

Below is the presentation that I made to the Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) on November 27. 2024.  Seven members of the public attended my presentation, most of whom identified as farmers. I was informed that the Department of Agriculture has also been granted a future delegation to counter my concerns.

“To the Chair and Members of the Manitoulin Municipal Association, thank you for the opportunity to make this presentation regarding the application of glyphosate on our island.

Glyphosate is a chemical that has been linked to many health concerns for humans and for other life in the natural environment. There have been numerous recent lawsuits in which people have been awarded extraordinary cash settlements for injuries tied to their exposure to glyphosate.

Glyphosate is currently being applied by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), Hydro One, and their contractors on Manitoulin Island roadways, rights-of-way, and stations.

Gathering information from MTO and their contractors for glyphosate application is a laborious endeavor. Often, the information is incomplete, inaccurate, difficult to understand, and often not provided at all. MTO often fails to properly notify the public when and where spraying has occurred, placing the public at risk.  MTO has applied glyphosate in conditions that are not indicated, such as over water, before rain, during wind events, and at temperatures that are too hot or too cold.

Glyphosate application is funded by tax and ratepayers.  We should have a say in how our money is spent, especially when our health and the natural environment are being affected. We are already facing numerous health care crises in our community. There is also the possibility of municipalities being named in civil liability cases for those who might become ill due to glyphosate application in the community.

There have been a number of stories locally detailing the loss of bees, including one from a Tehkummah resident who tested her dead bees at the University of Guelph, finding glyphosate levels twice that which is considered ‘safe‘ for human consumption.

Also, on September 10, Temagami First Nation (TFN) experienced a glyphosate spill. Six hundred litres of the concentrated herbicide was released from an overturned truck. As a result, a substantial cleanup effort has been undertaken. TFN has advised against harvesting plants and animals in a zone measuring 12 kilometre in diameter from the spill site!

Other measures can be taken to deal with foliage rather than the dispersal of chemicals. Manual maintenance, natural products, or livestock could be utilized.

I am proposing that the MMA pass a motion to be taken back to member communities asking that Manitoulin Island Municipalities be considered unwilling hosts for the application of glyphosate products on all roadsides, municipal rights-of-way, and utility stations by the MTO and Hydro One and their contractors. 

Thank you for your time and concern.”

Zak Nicholls is a resident of Little Current, Manitoulin Island