Winnipeg waiting for provincial approval to use sulphur gas on ground squirrels

A controversial plan to control ground squirrels using a sulfur gas pesticide called “Giant Destroyer” is being put on hold for now.

Winnipeg’s plan to use a sulphur gas compound pesticide known as “Giant Destroyer” to control ground squirrel populations has been put on pause.

The control program was set to begin Tuesday. However, a city spokesperson confirmed its delay.

“The program is paused while a decision is pending from the Province on our pesticide use permit,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to CTV News, noting the timing of the approval will determine when the program can get underway.

The city has been planning to eradicate ground squirrels from several athletic fields using a sulphur gas pesticide method, otherwise known as “Giant Destroyer.”

The gas would kill squirrels in their holes, which would then be filled with soil, burying them inside.

“Our fields need to be maintained in a condition where people can use them and use them safely. Even when I was a city councillor, the conditions of our sports fields was something I heard about on a regular basis,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said on Tuesday.

“When there are holes in the fields, they are frankly dangerous.”

Gillingham said he doesn’t have any timeline for when the program may proceed.

“I hope it’s soon because we are into our sports season for the summer and so the fields need to be used.”

The plan has already faced backlash from animal advocacy groups.

Read more: The City of Winnipeg’s plan to eradicate ground squirrels on athletic fields

The Winnipeg Humane Society has previously called on the city to consider other non-lethal options like live-trapping or covering burrows with mesh or concrete.

Gillingham said the city is always open to improvements in how it deals with ground squirrels.

CTV News has reached out to the province for comment.

-With files from CTV’s Alexandra Holyk