Grey County, along with three of its partner municipalities, has issued a public notice that pesticides will be used along selected rural roadsides this summer to control noxious weeds. The pesticide application period runs from May 11 to September 30, 2026, and is being carried out under a public health and safety exception to Ontario’s cosmetic pesticide ban.
The County of Grey, the Municipality of Meaford, the Township of Southgate, and the Township of Georgian Bluffs all plan to apply herbicides to manage weeds and brush that can pose risks to drivers, damage crops, and crowd out native plants. A key target is wild chervil, an aggressive invasive weed that has been spreading across the region.
Four herbicides are approved for use: Navius FLEX, ClearView, VisionMAX, and ARSENAL PowerLine. All are registered under Canada’s Pest Control Products Act. Residents who want to avoid exposure, especially those with home gardens, children, or pets, are encouraged to contact their local municipal office for details on exactly where spraying will happen.
Wild chervil is one of 25 plants listed as a noxious weed under Ontario’s Weed Control Act. It can dramatically reduce crop yields and smother native vegetation, making it a serious concern for farmers. Grey County has been fighting wild chervil since about 2015, working with the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to test effective herbicides. This year, spraying will cover roughly 300 kilometres of affected roadsides.
Ontario’s cosmetic pesticide ban generally prevents the use of certain pesticides for non-essential reasons, but it allows exceptions when public health or safety is at stake. Controlling weeds that obstruct sightlines on rural roads or spread onto farmland fits that exception. For more information or to report concerns, residents can contact their respective municipal office: Grey County residents can reach Manager of Operations, Shaun Anthony, at 1-548-877-0729.
