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PMRA renamed as Pesticides Regulatory Directorate

By Jonah Grignon

| 1 min read

A Canadian flag flies at the top of one of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Photo: File

The new directorate consolidates the resources and responsibilities of pesticide regulation of the PMRA. It operates under the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch of Health Canada. Photo: File

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has been rebranded as the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate.

The new directorate consolidates the resources and responsibilities of pesticide regulation of the PMRA. It operates under the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch of Health Canada.

When asked about the implications of the change, a Health Canada spokesperson redirected Glacier FarmMedia to the directorate’s main webpage. The page does not specify if the change will mean any significant differences within Canada’s pest management system.

Health Canada’s 2025-25 Departmental Plan outlined several measures to strengthen pesticide regulation and transparency, including upgrading the PMRA website and using plain language in communications to improve public accessibility and advancing “initiatives to modernize the regulatory oversight of pesticides, including focusing review efforts on higher-risk pesticides.”