Tombstones pop on Parliament Hill at Halloween rally over pesticide regulations

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Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-31 21:30:23.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Environment, Agriculture, Governance]

Protesters, alongside organizations such as Vigilance OGM, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and farmers, held a 'die-in' rally on Parliament Hill and across seven Quebec cities to oppose recent federal pesticide regulation changes. The demonstrations target Bill C-30—which passed in June and grants the federal government authority to greenlight pesticides deemed in the interest of economic or national food security, including those previously restricted by Health Canada—and the proposed omnibus Bill C-31. Bill C-31 includes amendments to the Pest Control Products Act allowing the Minister of Health to delay or narrow the scope of re-evaluations for registered pest control products. Health Canada defended the legislative changes, stating they are designed to reduce assessment delays and focus regulatory resources on high-risk products rather than automatic 15-year re-evaluations.