2005-64June 16, 2005For immediate release OTTAWA -- Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh today announced the appointment of 14 new members to Health Canada’s Pest Management Advisory Council (PMAC), including stakeholders from several organizations never before represented on the Council. "We have a wide range of expertise represented here, and a good balance of interests. We have members from the research sector, health and environmental organizations, manufacturers and users," said Minister Dosanjh. "I am particularly pleased to see representation from the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health and the Ontario College of Family Physicians. PMAC input is essential to meeting my commitment to openness and transparency in all aspects of the work we do at Health Canada and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency." Minister Dosanjh went on to say that the expansion of views on pesticides is especially important with the coming into force of the new Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). "PMAC continues to play a key role as we move toward this goal," he said. Established in 1998, PMAC is a multi-stakeholder group that fosters communication and dialogue among stakeholders and with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The Council provides advice directly to the Minister of Health on policies and issues relating to the federal pest management regulatory system. With approximately 25 members, PMAC has a balanced representation of interests, drawing members from the pesticide manufacturing industry, user organizations, the research/academic community and environmental and health groups. PMAC also includes the past provincial co-chair of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Pest Management and Pesticides. Those named to PMAC from organizations new to the Council are: Dr. Eric Young, Deputy Provincial Health Officer in British Columbia and a member of the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health, who brings extensive experience in environmental health, West Nile Virus response and community health; Dr. Neil Arya, family physician in Waterloo, Ontario who brings recognized expertise in environmental health, and who is a member of the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment; Alain Renaud from Druide, a Quebec-based manufacturer of organic body care products including citronella oil used as an insect repellent; Chris Andrews of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, an organization that links eight provincial member associations and provides education, information, research and certification services. Dr. Claire Infante-Rivard, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University, a noted health researcher currently studying genetic and environmental risk factors; Dr. Richard Belanger, Professor of Plant Pathology at Laval University and an expert in biocontrols in agriculture and forestry; Dr. Jeremy McNeil, Visiting Professor of Chemical Ecology at the University of Western Ontario, and an international expert in integrated pest management with a special interest in public awareness of science; Glen Sampson, Associate Professor of Weed Science, Plant Pathology and Pest Management in the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and a specialist in integrated pest management with current research in herbicide use patterns, environmental technologies and weed populations; Dr. Mark Winston, Professor of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University, an international researcher and author of numerous books including the award-winning Nature Wars: People versus Pests. There are also new members of PMAC from organizations previously represented on the Council: Dr. Irena Buka from the Canadian Pediatric Society Drew Franklin from the Canadian Consumer Speciality Products Association Rick Smith from Croplife Canada and Gary Brown of the Canadian Horticultural Council. For more information on PMAC and PMRA, visit: www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/advbod/pmac-e.html -30- Media inquiries: Pamela Kern613-841-5454Michael Tansey (French)(613) 487-3765 Adèle BlanchardOffice of Minister DosanjhMinister of Health(613) 957-0200 Public Enquiries: (613) 957-2991
