Emerald ash borer confirmed in Winnipeg

Pest detected outside the regulated area

December 7, 2017 - Ottawa, ON – Canadian Food Inspection Agency

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The new finding was outside of the regulated area, which includes the regional county municipalities of southwest Quebec, from Pontiac to Acton, all of southern Ontario, and the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Effective immediately, the movement of all ash material such as logs, branches, and woodchips, and all species of firewood from the affected sites, is restricted. The tree property owner (the City of Winnipeg) has been notified of these restrictions. The regulated area will be expanded in early 2018.

Although the emerald ash borer poses no threat to human health, it is highly destructive to ash trees. It has already killed millions of ash trees in Ontario, Quebec and the United States, and poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas of North America. The CFIA continues to work with federal, provincial, and municipal governments to slow the spread of this pest.