Ottawa authorizes emergency use of strychnine in Alberta, Saskatchewan to combat gopher infestation
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Ottawa is authorizing the controlled and time-limited emergency use of strychnine in Alberta and Saskatchewan to address the millions of dollars in damage caused by infestations of Richardson’s ground squirrels, known colloquially as gophers.
Alberta and Saskatchewan submitted a revised, joint emergency use request to Health Canada last week The earlier proposal was rejected by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency in February.
The agency banned the use of strychnine two years ago, arguing that the substance poses a risk to other wildlife species — which can include at-risk species such as swift foxes and burrowing owls — that consume poisoned carcasses.
The provinces’ approved request included additional restrictions and mitigation measures to reduce environmental exposure to rodenticides “to acceptable levels,” Health Canada said in a news release Monday.
“This is incredible news for producers across the Prairies,” Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson wrote in a post on Ax.
“This is a huge win for our agriculture industry, ensuring our producers have the tools they need to better manage their operations and provide high-quality products.”
Under the Pest Control Products Act, Ottawa is authorizing both provinces to register strychnine under emergency registration by November 2027.
Farmers across Alberta and Saskatchewan are seeking opportunity reusing strychnine To manage the inflamed population of Richardson’s ground squirrels. Insects target a variety of crops.
Strychnine, in two per cent liquid form, was the gopher control solution on farms in two provinces before the federal government phased out its use to manage the pests in 2020. In 2024, it banned it altogether due to the environmental risks posed by the poison.
“Saskatchewan producers are clear about the challenges they face in managing gophers with the limited equipment currently available,” Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Merritt said in a news release.
“We are pleased to see that the emergency use request has been granted a practical opportunity for producers to demonstrate how strychnine can help protect their crops and pastures from continued damage.”
Wade Nelson, a farmer near High River, Alta., said he has seen 170 acres of his canola crop destroyed by the gopher infestation. He praised the government’s decision to re-authorize strychnine for emergency use.
“It’s been a really big issue for us and for our community and across Alberta and Saskatchewan… I mean, they’re a devastating problem for us,” he said.
“It’s been a really big struggle. So losing strychnine as an effective tool was a hard pill to swallow. There are no other logical, safe options for managing it, and that’s why it’s a very good thing.”
Nelson said he would like to see the authority extended beyond 2027.
He said he hopes manufacturers, working with municipalities, can prove that “we can use this product safely and effectively so that we don’t have to be constantly worried about whether we’ll be able to continue doing it.”
