‘A drop of water in the pool’: information and engagement of linguistic communities around a municipal pesticide bylaw to protect the public's health

Abstract

The Multicultural Yard Health and Environment Project (MYHEP) used Toronto's Pesticide Bylaw roll-out process to examine how culturally specific perceptions and practices might influence the relevance of municipal public health information and community engagement strategies and the effectiveness of health protection initiatives. In Canada, and particularly in Toronto, such information is needed for governments to effectively engage with increasingly diverse populations. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with Spanish- and Cantonese-speaking participants to document opinions about pesticide use and regulation and views on municipal information and engagement strategies. MYHEP participants reported a need for more accessible environmental health messaging. There was confusion over the safety and legality of pesticide products available for sale in Toronto stores. Most participants indicated they were unwilling to make formal complaints about neighbours who were not complying with the bylaw (an important mechanism for enforcement). Results indicate that environmental health communication and engagement strategies need to be more carefully tailored to address local sociocultural and linguistic contexts in order to provide more equitable environmental health protection and promotion for all residents. These findings led Toronto Public Health to adapt its efforts so as to better engage communities regarding environmental health.