Sheila Brown, who moved from Alberta to Waterdown in good health, said she gradually developed what was diagnosed as "chemical allergies" from the "chemical soup" that slops around the Golden Horseshoe area. Nearly every day her neighbour sprays pesticides on his lawn and she has to run into the house to escape from its debilitating effects, she told councillors during a two-and-a-half hour public meeting last week on council's proposal to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides. Of the 33 people who spoke at the evening meeting at city hall, only a few were opposed to a bylaw to ban pesticides. And one of the opponents, Jeffrey Lowartz, of Heritage Green in Ancaster, gave a convincing presentation that had people lining up for his card. He wanted the bylaw rewritten to reflect the changes lawn care businesses have made to rely less on chemicals to control weeds and pests.
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