Ontario growers who need certification to purchase and use Restricted and Commercial (Class B and C) pesticides in Ontario can take the required course online. The Grower Pesticide Safety Course was first offered online in 2012 and has been updated with new information and learning activities. The same experienced instructors who have taught classroom courses across the province are now eager to teach online. 

The online course offers a classroom experience including real world examples and discussions with classmates. Growers may be happy to know there is no exam, but instead participants are graded on their responses to discussions and short quizzes within the course. A recent participant evaluated it as follows:  

“Very good, interactive course. After 10 years of spraying, I learned some things that I had never considered.” 

Courses run Monday to Friday, nearly every week this winter. After a one-hour conference call to kick- start the course on the Monday, growers can complete the course activities at their own time over the week. As another recent participant noted, 

“The course was very easy to navigate and I liked how you could work at your own pace.” 

Growers can learn more and register for the course at www.opep.ca or contact the Ontario Pesticide Education Program at 1-800-652-8573 or rcopep@uoguelph.ca. 

The Ontario Pesticide Education Program courses focus on product information, health and environmental risk management, pesticide application and pesticide safety practices. Currently more than 22,000 growers, 1,300 vendors and nearly 300 On-Farm Instructors are certified through the program. It is supported by growers, OMAFRA, pesticide manufacturers and retailers. 

For more information, contact: 

Susan Kelner or Lynn Van Maanen Ontario Pesticide Education Program University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Ridgetown, ON N0P 2C0 

519-674-1500 x63584 or x63586 skelner@uoguelph.ca or lvanma01@uoguelph.ca @ONspraysafety 

Source:  Ontario Pesticide Education Program January 11, 2021 news release