UN representative finds Canada's Indigenous people are 'disproportionately' affected by toxic waste. Many Indigenous communities "feel they are located in areas that are ... 'sacrifice zones'". he United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances says Canada's Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by toxic waste.
Baskut Tuncak was invited by the federal government to conduct an eight-stop visit between May 24 and June 6 to evaluate the federal government's progress on managing toxic materials and their effect on human rights.
He visited Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Montréal, along with Grassy Narrows and Sarnia in Ontario and Fort McMurray in Alberta, to meet with governments, academics, Indigenous communities and businesses.
"I've certainly heard testimonies from many Indigenous Peoples that they feel they are located in areas that are, quote-unquote, 'sacrifice zones'," Tuncak said.
"When you look at the unique relationship that Indigenous Peoples have with their lands — both the water, the lands, the foods — they certainly are exposed more to pollution that's released from these facilities."
'Quite disappointed' with Grassy Narrows cleanup
Tuncak said he was "quite disappointed" with a lack of clear answers from Ontario and Ottawa regarding why a remedy has not been found for the community of Grassy Narrows half a century after the discharge of 10 tonnes of mercury upstream from the First Nation, located about 100 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont.
Tuncak said he was "quite disappointed" with a lack of clear answers from Ontario and Ottawa regarding why a remedy has not been found for the community of Grassy Narrows half a century after the discharge of 10 tonnes of mercury upstream from the First Nation, located about 100 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont.
He, along with community advocates, have been pushing Ottawa to follow through on a promise by Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott in 2017, when she committed to building a health-care facility.
Mercury contaminated the local water and soil after the former owners of a mill in Dryden dumped effluent containing the toxin into the English-Wabigoon River system throughout most of the 1960s and into the early 1970s.
As a result, many residents suffer from debilitating health consequences to this day.
"The inaction for many decades really leaves in my mind questions of discrimination, and to what extent that community and other communities are protected from discrimination," Tuncak said.
"It should've been at the highest of priorities and I can't imagine that, if this were to happen in an urban centre, that it would've taken this long for remediation to take place."
Chief at odds with Ottawa over money
Grassy Narrows is trying to come to an agreement with Ottawa to expand its nursing station and build a new treatment centre. Chief Rudy Turtle said the clinic will conduct medical studies to better understand how mercury affects the human body and develop treatment plans.
Grassy Narrows is trying to come to an agreement with Ottawa to expand its nursing station and build a new treatment centre. Chief Rudy Turtle said the clinic will conduct medical studies to better understand how mercury affects the human body and develop treatment plans.
But Turtle said he's at odds with the federal government over funding.
"Let's do what's right for Grassy Narrows," Turtle said. "If (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau is serious about reconciliation, than he should fix this 50-year-old problem instead of letting it drag on."
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