愛污传媒

Climate and Environment

    • First Nations leaders claim federal government was involved in a cover up

    Share

    They call the Big Dock the hub of the community, but it鈥檚 also , and the people of Fort Chipewyan believe the federal government hid the issue for years.

    Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is leading the call for immediate action.

    鈥淚 think they have a hard time understanding people aren鈥檛 illiterate anymore. People understand what鈥檚 going on,鈥 Adam told 愛污传媒 Friday.

    Adam says the seriousness of the situation became clear this summer, after community leaders contacted the federal government to dredge the dock. Low water levels on the nearby Athabasca River, a vital artery to Fort McMurray 250 kilometres to the south, are increasingly becoming a problem.

    But Adams says Transport Canada refused to dredge the dock. Locals began the process of dredging it themselves, which included hiring a contractor. Adams says it was that contractor who alerted the community to contamination in the area, including cancer-causing substances above legal limits, confirmed seven years ago. That 2017 report was prepared by Winnipeg-based EGE Engineering for Public Works and Government Services Canada.

    The findings, Adam says, were never revealed to the people of Fort Chipewyan, and now that local leaders have gone public, he believes the lack of action from the federal government amounts to environmental racism.

    鈥淲e raised these issues and nobody seems to sound the alarm on the other side saying there鈥檚 something serious going on in the community.鈥

    Adams says Transport Canada has been trying to sell the dock to the community since 2013, and they were never alerted to any potential issues. 愛污传媒 reached out to Transport Canada for a response. . In an email, a spokesperson from Transport Canada told 愛污传媒

    鈥淎s the conversations with Fort Chipewyan regarding procurement of the dock never progressed, the detailed information was not shared,鈥 Transport Canada told 愛污传媒.

    The main concern now in Fort Chip, as it鈥檚 affectionately known, is two-fold.

    The dock and the Athabasca River provide a critical evacuation route during wildfires, especially if air travel isn鈥檛 an option.

    鈥淚t鈥檚 a fly-in, fly-out community, and when you fly into it, you have a hard time booking a ticket to get in, and you have a hard time booking a ticket to get out,鈥 Adams said, adding that taking a boat is a main access point,鈥 Adams says.

    Locals believe climate change, combined with heavy industry in the area, have contributed to falling water levels, and their water-based transportation hub is being threatened.

    The health of people in the community is the other critical concern. Generations in the tiny town on the western tip of Lake Athabasca have been raised swimming and fishing in the waters off the dock.

    "With the contamination I feel like I have to limit how much food I could give to my children, to my ancestors, to anybody. I feel like it鈥檚 not safe anymore鈥 a resident named Jason Castor told CTV.

    Chief Adams says the high rates of rare cancers in the area are well known, twice the Alberta average, and have been backed up in multiple reports. "It鈥檚 not acceptable in a community of 1200 people where people are dying of rare cancer diseases and nobody鈥檚 telling us what鈥檚 going on."

    The Office of Alberta鈥檚 Minister of Health told 愛污传媒 there have not been any new cases of cholangiocarcinoma in Fort Chipewyan registered since 2017, and that detailed statistical assessments of the incidence of cancer in the community are completed every three years. Adams disputes those claims.

    鈥淲e鈥檝e got 39 rare cancers in a community of 51 known.鈥

    Transport Canada confirmed it commissioned the 2017 report which looked at risks to human health and wildlife.

    "The student determined the site was not likely to pose any risks to human health," it said. Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand鈥檚 office said based on risk assessments over the years that took uses like fishing and swimming into account, there is "no risk to human health."

    For lifelong residents of Fort Chipewyan like Jason Castor, the twin issues of contamination and low water levels have the heartbreaking potential to destroy their traditional way of life.

    "That鈥檚 all I鈥檝e ever known is feeding my family off the land."

    Adams is calling for immediate action to remove contaminants and dredge the waterway before it鈥檚 too late, and members of three local first nations would be forced to become environmental refugees.

    "People would have to pack up and leave a beautiful community because the water鈥檚 damaged and there鈥檚 nothing to repair it. You got nowhere else to go," Adams said. "You won鈥檛 be able to swim in it, you won鈥檛 be able to eat the fish in it, won鈥檛 be able to eat the livestock that go to it. We won鈥檛 be able to live here anymore."

    Wfith files from 愛污传媒 Edmonton's Amanda Anderson

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    Canada

    • British Columbia's highest court has weighed in on a dispute over an inflatable hot tub a couple set up on their condo's patio 鈥 potentially bringing a close to the years-long conflict.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault promised on Tuesday to toughen secularism measures in schools, saying he was 'shocked' by revelations about a Montreal public school where a group of teachers had tried to introduce what the premier described as 'Islamist' beliefs.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥

    • Two Vancouver city councillors are questioning why they鈥檝e been ousted from city appointed roles.

    • The rain has only just stopped pummelling parts of Metro Vancouver, but for the hundreds of residents left with flood-damaged homes, the nightmare is far from over.

    • Cole Mcleod was home with his roommate in their 21st floor apartment on Monday afternoon when the fire alarm went off in the downtown Vancouver building. Then, he smelled smoke.

    • A motorcyclist has been critically injured in a collision on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Oakville, police say.

    • Police have released video footage of a recent home invasion in Richmond Hill as they search for three outstanding suspects who they say may have returned to the residence the following day to take another vehicle.

    • TTC staff are recommending that the transit service ban lithium-ion-powered mobility devices like e-scooters and e-bikes through the winter months due to the risk of fire in adverse conditions such as salty roads.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • Bricks along the pathway at Calgary鈥檚 Olympic Plaza have been removed and it wasn鈥檛 by the city. It appears people are coming to grab bricks with their names, family members鈥 name or a saying ahead of the plaza closing.

    • More than a decade after Colton Crowshoe's death, the case against his killer continues.

    • Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    • Passengers on a Via Rail train from Toronto found themselves stuck south of Ottawa for several hours Tuesday because of mechanical issues on the train.

    • Former volunteers with Eastern Ontario Cats (EOC) are working to track cats they say are either dead or missing after allegations of abuse, neglect and falsified medical records surfaced in recent months.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault promised on Tuesday to toughen secularism measures in schools, saying he was 'shocked' by revelations about a Montreal public school where a group of teachers had tried to introduce what the premier described as 'Islamist' beliefs.

    • The Quebec government wants to hear Quebecers' thoughts about scrapping the twice-yearly time change, but it isn't promising to act on them.

    • A Montreal borough and Muslim leader are pushing back against the head of the Parti Qu茅b茅cois after he accused a local library of promoting a "religious invasion" by posting a photo of a young girl wearing a hijab for a storytime event.

    • Police are looking for a man and a woman who robbed an Edmonton jewelry store earlier this month.

    • Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) custodians have voted 97 per cent in favour of going on strike.

    • A new commentary suggests the Government of Alberta purposely pushed false narratives around public safety to scale down safe supply in the province.

    • Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    • A member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party is crossing the floor and joining the Progressive Conservatives.

    • Crews responded to a propane leak in Upper Tantallon, N.S., on Tuesday night.

    • Folks making the trek to and from Thompson along Highway 6 are once again without a bathroom break鈥 at least for now.

    • The Manitoba government is restoring the 1:1 apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio.

    • A number of Manitoba communities kicked off the week by breaking decades-old heat records.

    • Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) has found that former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal violated legislative rules by profiting from hotels while they were party to government contracts.

    • A determined group within Moose Jaw has stepped up to provide assistance to those in need 鈥 following the closure of one of the city's shelters.

    • Saturday's matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders could determine if they clinch the West Division title, however the results from Winnipeg's game earlier in the day could make their matchup meaningless.

    • No one was hurt after playground equipment went up in flames at a Kitchener, Ont. park.

    • A bloodstain pattern analyst expert testified Tuesday at Erick Buhr鈥檚 second-degree murder trial.

    • At least seven large-scale butter thefts have been reported in Guelph, Ont. over a 10-month period, including two hauls in just the last month.

    • A Saskatoon family is voicing concerns after paying twice as much PST as expected on a recently purchased truck.

    • Hundreds of voter information cards have landed in the wrong hands.

    • A city planning document for the Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) sparked controversy over the weekend, with three civic election candidates alleging Confederation Mall was at risk of being demolished and replaced with dense housing.

    • Now that the jury has begun deliberating in the Sudbury murder trial of Felicity Altiman, here are some of the interesting courtroom moments they didn't get to hear.

    • Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening

    • After operating for 51 years, General Motors has announced it is closing the Kapuskasing Proving Ground, a facility the automaker used to test the durability of its vehicles in cold weather.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • A collision between a pickup truck and SUV shuttered the intersection of Base Line and New Road for several hours.

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    • Emergency crews rushed to the scene of a serious collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end involving a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.

    • A 35-year-old man from Etobicoke is facing impaired driving charges after a crash involving a Ministry of Transportation vehicle parked along Highway 11 south.

    • A fire that caused $2.5 million damage at a newly constructed house in Adjala-Tosorontio early Tuesday morning is being investigated as suspicious.

    • If you live in Windsor, Ont. and get a knock at the door from a political canvasser, it might be surprising since there鈥檚 no election on the horizon at the municipal, provincial or federal level. But across the border, that's not the case.

    • 鈥榁ampire Zombies鈥rom Space!鈥 and 鈥楾hundersnake鈥, two films that are showing at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), were both shot across the city and in the County of Essex.

    • Before the Town of Essex adopts it's new Master Plan for Land Use, staff will work to identify best proper use for future developments across the municipality.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    • Premier and NDP Leader David Eby says he's been told by the B.C. Green Party that it's too early to begin talks about a minority government agreement after the weekend's still-undecided provincial election.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.

    • Alberta is offering infrastructure funding to help municipalities accommodate recent population growth. The province has added a little over 500,000 people over five years, putting pressure on public services.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    • An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒