Mercury levels rising in the sediment of some lakes
Grassy Narrows: A newly released government commissioned report has found that mercury levels in the sediment of Grassy Narrows’ Wabigoon River remain up to 20 times above natural levels, while fish are up to 15 times above consumption guideline levels. This places the river above the frequent adverse effects level – the highest risk threshold used by Environment Canada to trigger remediation in the St. Lawrence environmental risk assessment. The Wabigoon River is the site of one of Canada’s most infamous ongoing environmental health disasters which began when 9,000 kg of mercury were dumped by a paper mill upstream in the 1960’s. No clean-up has been done even though multiple generations of Grassy Narrows families have been poisoned by the mercury.
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Today, community members in Grassy Narrows undertake a “Walk to Protect Grassy Narrows Traditional Land Use Area from Destruction.” The event is a display of ongoing resistance to industrial logging in their Territory by people in Grassy Narrows.
Today also, the Grassy Narrows Youth Group publicly released a position statement against logging signed by more than fifty young people. The statement is a reminder that the current generation of Youth is as committed to protecting the Territory as earlier generations from the community have been.
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Groups across Canada are calling on CN Rail to drop its injunction against Grassy Narows Clan Mother Judy Da Silva. Fifty Grassy Narrows people and supporters held a water ceremony near the CN track to protect against the threat of a spill of oil or other toxics that could contaminate Grassy Narrows’ water. The CN line forms the southern boundary of Grassy Narrows Territory and runs directly beside a number of lakes.
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In a joint statement issued today, 16 social justice organizations, faith groups, trade unions, and environmental organizations are calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to immediately withdraw the province’s 10 year plan for clearcut logging on the traditional territory of the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
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Grassroots people from Grassy Narrows First Nation are demonstrating to remind the Province and Logging Industry that Grassroots People from Grassy Narrows remain firm in their commitment to protect the land from industrial logging.
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