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TORONTO, Canada - Toronto representatives and lawn care operators are using ads to weigh in on both sides of the thorny pesticide issue.
The city's ad is part of a $90,000 campaign to urge residents not to use herbicides or insecticides on their lawns.
It uses an obituary format. Readers are told that Dan DeLion has passed away suddenly of natural causes. The end was apparently quick and painless - because pesticides were not used. It first appeared in print last month.
The future of the city's controversial pesticide bylaw, which officially went into effect last month, is now in limbo.
Two city committees voted last week to water down the bylaw by allowing the use of chemicals if weeds represent as little as 5 per cent of a lawn.
The matter will go to city council for a final decision next week.
The Toronto Environmental Coalition, which represents lawn care operators, has a radio campaign supporting pesticide use.
It urges listeners who oppose restrictions on their use to contact their councillors before next week's council meeting. A spokesperson couldn't be reached yesterday.
Dale Roberts, associate creative director at Axmith McIntyre Wicht, which came up with the city's obituary ad, said it's designed to tackle a serious social issue with a bit of humour.
"There's nothing wrong with getting a smile."
Toronto Public Health spokesperson Tammy Robbinson said if the ad grabs people's attention, then they're just more likely to take the time to read it.
"We don't want to be dictatorial. We want people to read the advertising," she said, adding another ad featuring a family recoiling in horror at a dandelion, with the tagline "Relax, It's Just a Weed," is done in the same vein.
Councillor John Filion, who chairs the board of health, says he's confident city council will reverse the committees' decision and order an outright ban on weed killers on private property.