Heath Canada’s Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) is responsible for promoting safe use of chemicals, as well as monitoring and enforcement, to make sure registered fungicides, insecticides and other agricultural chemicals are used according with their legal label.
As several greenhouses (both vegetable and ornamental) have undergone random inspections in 2025, it’s good to be aware of this federal program, and what an inspection could look like.
Program Background:
PCP operates under the Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch, Health Canada’s dedicated compliance and enforcement branch. It coordinates and delivers its activities nationally with inspectors across Canada (and is therefore a federal, not provincial, program).
PCP ensures all regulated parties act in accordance with the Pest Control Products Act, including manufacturers, importers, retailer and end-users.
What to Expect in an Inspection:
If an inspector from PCP inspects your greenhouse, they are likely to take the following actions:
- Examining or collecting documents relating to pesticide use
- Taking photographs
- Inspecting facilities where pesticides may be found or used
- Taking samples of pesticides and other materials in the place being inspected
Inspectors collect information to assess overall compliance with the act, and with the conditions established on Health Canada’s approved labels. Such conditions may include:
- Pesticide storage
- Disposal of pesticide products
- Use of personal protective equipment
- Frequency and timing of pesticide application
- Adherence to buffer zones and re-entry intervals
Generally, if a greenhouse has be found to be in violation of a pesticide label, the typical result is warning letter that outlines corrective actions that should be taken within a specific time window in order to be in compliance with the Pesticide Act. An unannounced follow-up visit may be performed to determine if changes were made.
In rare cases, enforcement may be escalated. You can find more information on the PCP’s “Activities” page or look at the posted Enforcement Bulletins to see what kinds of infractions may result in stronger enforcements. (In reality, most of the enforcements surround importation of non-registered chemicals. So don’t do that).
More Information:
Information on the responsibilities of Agronomists and IPM Consultants with regards to Pesticide Compliance Program can be found in the below PDF. This PDF also includes information and links useful to growers.
For more information on the compliance program, you can email the federal program at pcp-pcp@hc-sc.gc.ca. You can also contact the regional Ontario office at 519-826-2895 or info.pesticides.ontario@hc-sc.gc.ca.
What you Can Do To Prepare for a Potential Inspection
Generally, don’t panic. Just make sure all your t’s are crossed and your i’s dotted when it comes to pesticides and their use in your greenhouse. Here are some friendly suggestions:
- Make sure pesticides past their end-use registration date are properly disposed of. If you missed the free pesticide disposal program run once every 3 years through Clean Farms, you may need to hire a disposal service at your own expense. Alternatively, you can store expired/obsolete products until the next clean farms collection (which will be 2028 in Ontario). However, make sure to separate them from registered products, clearly label them as “for disposal” and make sure they are properly stored in the their original container with the label.
- Keep detailed spray records, making sure you stay on-label. For example, make sure your pesticide programs do not go above legal maximum uses per crop, exceed rates, or violate other use details listed on pesticide labels. Note that this information is readily available on the greenhouse vegetable and greenhouse ornamental modules of Ontario’s Crop Protection Hub.
- Work with a Consultant, Technical Rep, or other IPM Specialist to make sure your pesticide programs are compliant. Sometimes this is as simple as creating a pesticide rotation, rather than relying on the same chemical for multiple sprays (putting you above max. uses per crop). A rotation program can also help safeguard against resistance.
- Make sure your PPE, spray equipment, and pesticide signage are up to snuff. Much of this is detailed in the manual for Ontario’s Pesticide Education Program (OPEP). (I recently discovered all the chapters are available for free as a podcast!)