Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 12 MARCH 2026

Health Canada's PMRA May Clear A New Flight Path For Spray Drones In Canada

MLT Aikins LLP
MLT Aikins LLP
Contributor
MLT Aikins LLP

MLT Aikins LLP

FIRM OVERVIEW MLT Aikins is a full-service business law firm of more than 375 lawyers with a deep...

View firm profile
Explore more from MLT Aikins LLP

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has released a proposal for consultation that could significantly impact the future of spray-drone operations in Canada

CanadaTransport
Erika Carrasco
Erika Carrasco
Sage Blacklavender
Sage Blacklavender
Author LinkedIn connections

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has released a proposal for consultation that could significantly impact the future of spray-drone operations in Canada. The proposal would permit remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to apply pesticides already approved for conventional aerial use, provided operators follow existing aerial-application label directions, among other things. This development follows scientific findings showing comparable health and environmental risks between drone-based and traditional aerial application methods of pesticides.

What the PMRA is proposing

Under the current regulatory framework, operators may only use a pesticide by drone if the label explicitly authorizes RPAS application, something that very few labels presently include. PMRA consultation PRO2026-01 proposes allowing RPAS use where a label already permits aerial application unless the registrant chooses to opt out by adding "DO NOT apply by RPAS" to the product label.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Quebec’s New Truck Licence Transfer Rules: What Ontario Carriers Need To Do Now

Ontario commercial truck drivers with less than two years of heavy-truck experience must now pass a practical road test administered by Quebec's SAAQ before transferring their licence to operate heavy vehicles in the province. This new requirement follows fatal collisions and an Ontario Auditor General audit that exposed significant gaps in training standards and provider oversight. Carriers operating across the border need to factor these requirements into workforce planning, recruitment timelines, and dis
CanadaTransport
Miller Thomson
Miller Thomson
Article

Cleared For Investment: Canada Opens The Door To Private Capital At Its Largest Airports

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced plans to seek private investment through long-term concessions to operate Canada's four largest airports: Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montréal-Trudeau and Calgary. While the government would retain ownership of underlying land and assets, this represents a fundamental shift from the current not-for-profit airport authority model that has governed these facilities since the 1990s.
CanadaTransport
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP
Article

Canada Commits To Airport Privatization Through Long-Term Concessions For Its Four Largest Airports

The Canadian federal government has announced a firm commitment to privatize operations at the country's four largest airports through long-term concessions, marking a decisive shift from earlier exploratory discussions. Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed that while the government will retain ownership of airport lands and assets following the Australian leased-airport model, private investment will be sought to operate Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montreal-Trudeau, and Calgary international airports.
CanadaTransport
McCarthy Tétrault
McCarthy Tétrault
Article

Lights, Camera Infractions: A Review Of Ontario’s Automatic Enforcement System Offence Regime, The Risks To Commercial Vehicle Carriers And How Operators Can Protect Themselves

Ontario's automatic enforcement system (AES) offences, captured by red light cameras and similar technology, pose significant regulatory risks to commercial vehicle carriers. These offences carry the maximum 5 CVOR penalty points—equivalent to impaired driving or criminal negligence—yet are nearly impossible to defend or resolve through plea negotiations.
CanadaTransport
Gardiner Roberts LLP
Gardiner Roberts LLP
Article

Airport Privatization: Models, International Experience, And The Canadian Legal Landscape

Editor's note (September 15, 2026): Following publication of this article, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed plans to open Canada's four largest airports to private investment through long-term operating concessions, while retaining government ownership of the land and underlying assets. The announcement marks a significant step toward the alternative ownership and operating models explored below.
CanadaTransport
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG
Article

Cleared For Takeoff? The Legal Reality Of Commercial Drones In Canada

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, are increasingly used in Canada for commercial purposes such as infrastructure inspection, real estate photography, agriculture, filmmaking, mapping and resource exploration. Their advantages are clear: they are flexible, relatively inexpensive and capable of collecting information from angles and locations that would otherwise be difficult to access.
CanadaTransport
Fasken
Fasken
Article

President Trump Announces U.S. Counter-tariffs On Canada: Are They Lawful?

President Trump has invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose new counter-tariffs on Canadian goods including dairy, alcohol, motorcycles, and metal products. The legality of this rarely-used statutory provision remains untested in court, raising questions about presidential tariff authority under the U.S. Constitution. Legal scholars debate whether Section 338 has been superseded by later trade legislation, while the administration argues Canada's retaliatory measures constitute discriminator
GlobalInternational Law
MLT Aikins LLP
MLT Aikins LLP
Article

Amendments Streamline Project List Under Impact Assessment Act

The Government of Canada has amended regulations under the Impact Assessment Act to streamline environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects, particularly interprovincial pipelines. These changes shift regulatory responsibility for certain energy projects to the Canada Energy Regulator while removing other project types from federal review following the Supreme Court's 2024 constitutional ruling.
CanadaEnvironment
MLT Aikins LLP
MLT Aikins LLP
Article

Permit Me To Explain: Bill C-39’s Plan To Build Canada Faster

The Canadian government has introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, proposing to compress federal project approval timelines from five years to one year through consolidated permitting and streamlined processes. The legislation also modernizes transportation infrastructure through National Trade Corridors and reforms labour relations by strengthening collective bargaining while clarifying ministerial powers to intervene in work stoppages.
CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
MLT Aikins LLP
MLT Aikins LLP
Article

AI Data Centres In Canada: Legal And Regulatory Considerations For Developers And Investors Looking To Build

Developing AI data centres in Canada requires navigating complex corporate structuring, financing arrangements, regulatory approvals, energy supply agreements, real estate considerations, environmental permitting, and stakeholder engagement across multiple jurisdictions. This comprehensive guide examines the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the physical infrastructure side of data centre development, from site selection and power procurement to Indigenous consultation and municipal approvals.
CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
MLT Aikins LLP
MLT Aikins LLP
Article

Not Beyond Reproach: Alberta Court Confirms Jurisdiction Over Alberta Energy Regulator

The Alberta Court of King's Bench has confirmed its jurisdiction to grant injunctive relief against the Alberta Energy Regulator despite a broadly worded statutory privative clause. This landmark decision, arising from Sumerian Oil & Gas's application to stay a suspension order affecting approximately 900 wells, represents one of the first considerations of the Supreme Court of Canada's recent Democracy Watch ruling and may significantly impact future disputes involving AER orders.
CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
MLT Aikins LLP
MLT Aikins LLP