![]() ![]() ![]() In an interview with CBC, Chief Randy Fobister recalls stories from a time before the dumping of mercury happened. So it's almost like there's a denial we were even poisoned." Compensation is justice: Grassy Narrows chief "It's like just a small batch of people that get mercury disability. (CBC)īut Da Silva says the mercury disability board doesn't cover everybody, and doesn't account for the untold changes to the way of life for people living in Grassy Narrows. She says the First Nation and its residents must be compensated for the ongoing harms caused by the mercury contamination. Judy Da Silva is a mother-of-five and the environmental health coordinator for Grassy Narrows First Nation. There are a range of physical and mental health impacts related to mercury poisoning, including tremors, headaches, neuromuscular effects, memory loss, and others. It "bioaccumulates," meaning it passes from one generation to the next, from mother to child, through the placenta. The fish in the river were full of poison, and the people from Grassy Narrows, who relied on the fish as a staple in their diet, were full of it, too. Health impacts of mercury poisoning are ongoingĭuring the 1960s and early '70s, the chemical plant at the Reed Paper mill in Dryden, Ont., which is upstream of Grassy Narrows, dumped 9,000 kilograms of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River. In Grassy, we've never had that," she added. That's what we're seeking, is compensation for the people that are suffering with mercury poisoning. (Allan Lissner/ )ĭa Silva says when an environmental disaster happens that affects a non-Indigenous community, the government usually reacts quickly to compensate people. But Grassy Narrows mother Judy Da Silva says more than 1,500 people are expected to attend, as she hopes for a large turnout similar to the in-person events, like the 2019 march (pictured above) at Queen's Park in Toronto. The rally will be virtual because of COVID-19. ![]()
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