About PIRC/OIPMA

Quoting Gord Miller, “the power of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) comes not from the Environmental Commissioner, but from the people of Ontario, using their rights under the EBR to ensure that government decisions reflect their environment values.” 

In 1996 the government acknowledged the need to recognize two industry councils based on the vastly different aspirations and interests of the two industry councils’ affiliated members regulated under the Pesticides Act. The names of the two industry councils are firstly, the PIRC, administered by OIPMA, and secondly, the PIC administered by Landscape Ontario (LO). The two industry councils have same or similar declared IPM educational goals and objectives. However, the process that each council supports to achieve these laudable goals largely differentiates the two industry councils administrated by their respective largest trade association member. 

The PIRC is an incorporated non-profit organization. Known as the Pesticide Industry Education Council (PIEC) operating in Ontario as the Pesticide Industry Regulatory Council (PIRC).

The rationale for recognizing two industry councils, each having two delegates, was the government’s answer to ensure that streamlined tripartite joint consultation would occur between the Standards Development Branch and the two industry councils well in advance of future Electronic Registry (ER) postings under the Pesticides Act. In addition, that the two councils would be treated consistently in their independent administration and delivery of educational programs to meet future requirements under the Pesticides Act served the public interest. In 1995 the government listened to the emancipation pleas of Ontario’s IPM Applicators and small business operators for equal representation in the pre-EBR consultation process. VanderHeide’s researched documentation that nearly 10,000 stakeholders had effectively been disenfranchised from the pre-EBR early consultation process was a serious concern to the government. The government was additionally concerned and recognized that stakeholders with long time organizational ties had been largely misinformed or not informed by their affiliated associations” executives concerning the posted October 2, 1995 Licensing Changes. Thus, in early 1996, based on the EBR appeal and substantial and substantiated follow up submissions made by our Executive Director, Gary VanderHeide, on October 28, 1995, and January 1996, the MOE Minister ordered new stakeholder meetings. (See Archive files for more background). The PIRC is located and administered via the OIPMA, its largest member. The OIPMA was formerly called the Ontario Professional Pesticide Applicators Association (OPPAA) with same members and the same PIRC address. The two industry councils’ agreements and Memorandum of Understandings made with Ministry officials that included approved PNP signs are highlighted in Ministry SWAT documents between 2001 and early 2006, and its archived 2006 ‘Municipal Extermination’ web page. The Ministry at PIRC request restored our name to ‘Pesticide Applicators” from ‘Municipal Extermination’ and in so doing also changed its published content inconsistent with this page’s prior publications between 2001 through early 2006.

Please read carefully the underlined members’ adopted PIRC and IPM-EHC Council of Ontario Memberships’ Sustainable Development and IPM Policy Code of Ethics .

Quoting Gord Miller, “the power of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) comes not from the Environmental Commissioner, but from the people of Ontario, using their rights under the EBR to ensure that government decisions reflect their environment values.” 

The establishment of the OIPMA, (formerly called OPPAA and interchangeably called OIPMA at this site), was made possible by a new environmental statute introduced and passed by the Bob Rae government in 1994 called the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). You may access here the related EBR legislation.   The OIPMA, than called the Ontario Professional Pesticide Applicators Association (OPPAA), was established in the fall of 1995. This came about after Ontarians elected a new government headed  by than Premier Mike Harris, who introduced new MOE policies and Statutes to eliminate red tape, (see archived Red Tape Commission). Introduced by the government was MOE privatization of educational services, and enhanced stakeholder rights to a transparent, honest and open Ministry consultation process, and to have that say much earlier in an industry pre-EBR consultation process. The OIPMA at the invitation of the government has since October 28, 1995 provided knowledgeably representation on behalf of Ontario’s independent small business professional IPM applicators and operators.

In 2006 the Standards Development Branch of the Ministry of the Environment representing the people of Ontario updated its educational commitment and Memorandum of Understanding protocols in regards to the Pesticide Technician Program (PTP) with the industry’s two councils (PIRC and PIC).

The Pesticide Industry Regulatory Council (PIRC) administers and delivers the MOE approved PTP through the OIPMA.

The independent IPM industry and its older Landscape licenced members are encouraged to participate in our unique ‘live” toll free support PTP and IPM Accreditation programs to meet current and future regulatory requirements under the Pesticides Act .  OIPMA members subscribe to the PIRC and IPM-EHC Council of Ontario Memberships Sustainable Development and IPM Policy Code of Ethics .