Compliance and Enforcement

The Ministry of the Environment manages its approach to compliance and enforcement through education and outreach, inspections, response to incidents, voluntary abatement, orders, tickets and prosecutions.  

In the case of the pesticides ban, the ministry will focus its initial efforts on education and outreach while utilizing the appropriate compliance and enforcement tools when necessary.  Violations of the Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation 63/09 are subject to the penalties outlined under the Act for both individuals and corporations.  Penalties are dependant on the nature and seriousness of the offence.

The ministry has Provincial Officers located in communities throughout Ontario trained in monitoring for compliance and providing enforcement under the Pesticides Act.  To further support the ban, the ministry will also be monitoring for compliance by inspecting vendors who sell pesticides and businesses that apply pesticides. 

General questions about the ban can be directed to Ministry of the Environment’s Public Information Centre at 1-800-565-4923 or 416-325-4000.

For questions or to report non compliance with the ban, please contact your local ministry district office during regular business hours (contact information can be found in the Blue Pages in the telephone directory or on the ministry’s website at www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/contact/regionalmap.php). After business hours, please contact the ministry’s Pollution Hotline at 1-866-MOE-TIPS (1-866-663-8477).