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Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said the city’s gopher control program is needed to protect public green spaces, following concerns raised on The Evan Bray Show about poison being used within the city.
Bachynski was asked about the issue during an appearance on 980 CJME and 650 CKOM, after a listener questioned whether the city’s program could harm birds, rabbits, squirrels and pets.
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“So the product that we use is Health Canada approved,” Bachynski said. “It is very, very targeted to gophers.”
The City of Regina launched its 2026 Gopher Control Program in April, saying it was intended to reduce damage from gopher holes in outdoor spaces. The city said 42 locations would be treated this year, with yellow warning signs posted in affected areas while work was underway.
Bachynski said the product is placed deep inside gopher holes, rather than spread across open park space.
“The product that we put out there goes deep into the gopher holes themselves, so not accessible by other, like by birds or other creatures,” he said.
The city’s website says crews use Rozol RTU, a Health Canada-approved product, in small amounts deep inside gopher holes. The city said the application was limited to buffer zones and rough turf areas, including storm channels and buffers for roadways and railways.
Bachynski said the product would not be applied to athletic fields or traditional park spaces, and that the city still has to keep the gopher population under control because of the damage the animals can cause.
“We do need to control the population of the gophers,” he said. “They get into our green spaces, they put holes in the ground in areas that can cause accessibility challenges in and through our park spaces.”
He said the city was also trying to prevent gophers from spreading into sports fields.
“We want to take care of it before they get to our athletic fields,” Bachynski said.
According to the city, spring is the best time for treatment because gophers are emerging from their burrows and searching for food. The city said early treatment in rough turf areas helps prevent gopher populations from spreading into maintained turf and sport fields later in the summer.
Bachynski said crews try to avoid areas where people are gathering.
“We don’t want to apply it into spaces where there is people as well,” he said. “We try to go into the rough areas where they start and try and control the population in those areas.”
The city has yellow signs that will be maintained for several weeks and only removed once staff are satisfied the site is clear of product. Residents are urged to avoid marked areas, especially with children and pets, and to keep dogs leashed or stay away from posted areas entirely.
Bachynski said the city’s position was that the program was targeted and necessary.
“It’s a common rodenticide,” he said. “We do need to control that population, because they do cause a lot of damage if we don’t take care of it.”
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