Visions still haunt him 40 years later

Re Act now on Grassy Narrows, Letter June 11

It is imperative that we Canadians arouse ourselves and stop poisoning our indigenous people. For goodness sake, let’s take concrete action to redeem ourselves, strive to correct historic wrongs.

We should start by cleaning up the Wabigoon River bed. Mercury levels are rising again, according to the latest reports. We can fly to the moon, yet we still haven’t a project underway guaranteed to put this dreadful mercury problem to bed, once and for all.

In a recent poignant article for the Star, Grassy Narrows reserve chief Simon Fobister Sr. graciously acknowledged the apologies of federal and provincial leaders for past wrongs designed to destroy the First Nations peoples’ culture and identity. And he rightly deplored the display of pussy footing now underway respecting Wabigoon River mercury cleanup procedures.

Mercury poisoning is deadly. In the seventies I was part of a federal-provincial delegation that visited Minamata, Japan, where a mercury poisoning outbreak had been underway for years. This outbreak had remarkable similarities to what was then occurring in Grassy Narrows, northern Ontario.

I visited the local hospital where the poisoned children were being cared for. What a terrible sight. Brain-damaged, misshapen children in their mother’s arms, the mothers beseeching us for news of a cure. Regrettably, we had none.

Visions of those malformed children remain with me. The staple food of poor fisher folk children had been poisoned. Not too many people cared. Those responsible for the mercury pollution were slow to admit fault. Those affected were very poor people, with little voice to protect themselves.

Kathleen Wynne is a good-hearted person. Ontarians were moved by her recent apology to the First Nations people for the horrific past wrongs. But now the real work must begin.

With respect to the mercury in the lakes and river bed, our two levels of government need to get it done, institute measures to prevent the poisoning of our Canadian indigenous people. That’s what Canadians want. Words of sorrow concerning past wrongs are not enough. They must be matched by actions.

Grassy Narrows families who use the Wabigoon as one of their sources of food are being poisoned again by mercury contaminated fish. The children are in danger of being brain damaged.

Our political decision makers should not further shame our people with lame excuses. In the name of all decent Canadians, do it. Just do it.

Gerard C. Ronan, former assistant deputy minister, Ontario Ministry of the Environment