Changes to Pesticide Certification during COVID-19

A message from Maylia Parker (Director, Air Quality and Resource Management)

Pesticide industry workers and business owners:

We know spring is coming and for many your busy season is nearly here. We’re working quickly to develop new ways to support your business online, so you can get certified or recertified without the need for in-person exams during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Renewal of pesticide certificate of qualification: If your pesticide certificate expires between December 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, we will allow you to operate under it for an additional year without renewing.  We know that many certified applicators choose to take education credits rather than write the pesticide exam, but there has been limited opportunity to do that since December, so we are offering this option instead.

Renewal of pesticide business operator certificates: If your business operator certificate expires between December 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, we will allow the business to operate for an additional year without renewing.

First-time certificate applications: Our staff are working hard to quickly create an online test that will be offered to first-time certificate applicants. If you are applying for the first time, you will be able to take this test and receive a certificate good for one year. If you want to extend your certificate beyond this first year, you will need to write our standard in-person exam after the one-year term expires.  Once the online test is ready, we will update the exam schedule.

Our goal is to have this test available online by April 30.

Fees: The province has deferred all fees for business until June 30. Because we are extending/issuing pesticide certificates for one year only, you won’t have to pay until the next time you renew your certificate or apply for new one.

We are actively looking for ways to help support businesses facing economic hardship because of COVID-19. More measures were announced recently by both the provincial and federal governments.

For information about additional supports being offered through the provincial government, please see the “Support for Businesses” section. You may also call a Business Navigator, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1-844-628-7347 , 902-424-4475 or email. 

If you want information on federal supports for businesses, please visit the Economic Response Plan.

If you have any questions about how pesticide certification will work this year, please call your local Environment Office or email. We want to help, and we’ll do our best to answer your questions quickly.