https://www.kenoraonline.com/local/no-action-yet-to-clean-up-poisoned-community

The work to build a mercury treatment facility in Grassy Narrows First Nation will continue in 2020, with a renewed commitment from the federal government. The $17 million project was announced in 2017, but only two per cent of the work has been completed.

The Mercury Care Home would provide live-in care for 22 community members of any age who are suffering from mercury poisoning and are not well enough to live at home, but want to stay close to their families in Grassy Narrows.

In March, Grassy Narrows sent a letter to the federal government calling for $88.7 million to be placed into a trust fund for the development costs, maintenance and operating costs for the facility over 30 years.

Sol Mamakwa of the NDP was also calling on the provincial government to support the community in March, with the clean-up costs of the mercury in the English and Wabigoon River system.

“How long will it take this government to dig and clean up this toxic dump before more people from Grassy Narrows are poisoned? If mercury was buried in Toronto, and it was poisoning people, you can be sure that this government would act,” said Mamakwa.

In April, during a Liberal party fundraiser, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on camera telling a protester from Grassy Narrows to leave the function. The protester was calling for more support in Grassy Narrows. Trudeau issued an apology to the protester shortly afterwards.

“We acknowledge the Prime Minister’s apology however, he must be reminded of the urgency of this matter and the ongoing struggle and threats to the health of First Nations citizens because of environmental contamination for over 50 years. People are dying from mercury contamination and nothing is being done. Enough is enough,” said Chief Rudy Turtle.

“I am very dismayed and disheartened that Prime Minister Trudeau made these deriding and disrespectful comments considering the reconciliation platform he ran on. We take the lives of our Treaty #3 people very seriously and will continue to support the work the advocates are doing on behalf of those suffering from mercury poisoning,” said Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3.

Later that month, Turtle joined Wabaseemoong Independent Nation Chief John Paishk to sign a declaration between the two communities. It provided a guideline for the two parties to work together to lobby the government to build the facility, as well as provide direction for use of local resources.

“The problem with the mercury has always been an uphill battle for us. At this point, we want our communities to work together and we want to gain momentum together. It is very important,” said Chief Paishk.

In May, former Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O’Reagan and former Kenora MP Bob Nault travelled to Grassy Narrows with the expectation of signing a memorandum of agreement with Chief Turtle, to outline the path forward to deal with the long-term health needs of Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemong.

Despite a 4.5 hour-long meeting between the federal representatives and community leaders, the signing of the document did not take place. The facility was set to begin construction in the fall of 2018. Former Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott committed to build the facility in 2017.

“This is what happens sometimes in negotiations. We landed, and we quickly realized that we didn’t have a deal. We will keep working at it. I think we’re really close,” said O’Reagan. “We have to really work hard at this. It’s really important.”

“I have in front of me the workplan, and the workplan is a very comprehensive workplan with shovels in the ground by July, if we had agreed when we were in the community a couple of days ago,” said Nault.

The agreement falling through was one of the main reasons that Chief Turtle ran for the NDP in the federal election, with the support of leader Jagmeet Singh.

“Justin Trudeau promised us that he’d be different, but what we got was a Prime Minister that says the right thing in public, and does something else behind closed doors,” said Turtle. “People have been let down by Mr. Trudeau,” said Singh. “He’s said a lot of good words, but hasn’t delivered action – one of the biggest examples is the poisoning of Grassy Narrows and not cleaning up that mercury. We’re going to build a brighter future.”

Turtle would eventually lose the MP role to Eric Melillo of the Conservative party. In December, Melillo used his first speech in the House of Commons to advocate for the mercury treatment centre, saying it had been too long with too little action on the project.

“The people of Grassy Narrows First Nation have been suffering from the effects of mercury contamination for decades. In 2017, this government promised a treatment centre to support the community. Now in nearly 2020, we have still seen no action.”

Minister of Indigenous Services, Marc Miller, said funding for the treatment centre was not an obstacle, and the federal government is committed to making the project a reality. He added that he expects to provide an update to members of the House of Commons soon.

“I’m glad to have had the opportunity to meet with Chief Rudy Turtle,” said Minister Miller. “We had a good, productive conversation. I re-iterated my commitment, and the Prime Minister’s, to build a mercury treatment facility. That funding is not an obstacle. We share a will to move forward.”

Earlier in the month, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh pledged his support for the project, joined by National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations and Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald from the Chiefs of Ontario.

According to the 1986 settlement agreement, the mercury pollution is the result of discharge from the Reed Paper company’s operation in Dryden, which used mercury in their bleaching process for making paper.

Altogether, an estimated 9 to 11 tonnes of mercury were released into the water. Mercury also reached the river system when, starting in the 1950’s, the Ontario and federal governments built multiple hydroelectric dams on the Wabigoon-English River system. The dam reservoirs released mercury from soil into the watercourse.

The Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek Community Health Assessment Report from December, 2018 revealed that Grassy Narrows adults report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts compared to other First Nation adults, and has found that community members under the age of 19 had higher rates of mercury-related problems compared to other First Nation communities.

The report found that Grassy Narrows youth were twice as likely to not thrive and to have emotional or behavioural issues, and three times as likely to have at least one condition that may impact school performance – such as speech or language difficulties and learning disabilities. Other conditions include attention deficit disorder, allergies, asthma, eczema, anxiety, depression, anemia, visual problems, and ear infections.

In their research, Japanese doctors have estimated that more than 90 per cent of the First Nation members at Grassy Narrows and Wabaseeomoong show signs of mercury poisoning. Health Canada stopped the regular monitoring of mercury levels in the Grassy Narrows community in 1999. Only 6 per cent of community members receive mercury poisoning compensation.