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Mercury Rising: The Poisoning of Grassy Narrows
Between 1962 and 1970, natives in two northwest Ontario communities sat down to daily meals of poison. Their staple food — fish — had record-high levels of mercury from a chemical plant up the river. Debate still rages over just how sick the mercury has made the people of Grassy Narrows and Whitedog reserves. There is no doubt, however, that the lingering pollution was a disaster for the natives and the lodge owners who had employed them as fishing guides. Their source of food and jobs destroyed, the bands endured years of alcoholism and despair, government neglect and, finally, healing.		Educational activities about Mercury Rising: The Poisoning of Grassy Narrows

	'The water's no good'		A clear and present danger		'Are Indians slowly dying?'
	More than 500 northwest Ontario Indians discover they've been eating mercury-contaminated fish for years. (TV; runs 8:36)		Secret documents show that Ontario's mercury contamination is as grave as that of Minamata, Japan, and the fish-eating natives are "at risk". (Radio; runs 15:11)		Canadian officials say the natives are in no danger but visiting Japanese researchers see signs of mercury poisoning. (Radio; runs 10:35)

	Ontario admits: 'We have a problem'		Fishing for fun and death		Poisoned in many ways
	One year after Ontario is accused of downplaying the poisoning, Barbara Frum grills Health Minister Frank Miller over the treatment of Grassy Narrows natives. (Radio; runs 9:09)		The fish are poisoned but the English-Wabigoon waterway remains open to anglers. (TV; runs 5:58)		Unemployment and despair lead to a host of new problems. (Radio; runs 15:07)

	Community in crisis		The antidote		Compensation and 'shame'
	Government attempts to help instead bring violent death and misery. (TV; runs 13:22)		Rays of hope are seen in community that, for a long time, has been a very dark place. (Radio; runs 9:18)		Sixteen years after poison in the river destroyed their way of life, natives get a multi-million-dollar compensation package. (TV; runs 2:05)

	Still ill
	Mercury continues to make natives sick, says the Japanese doctor who made Canadian authorities take notice in 1975. (TV; runs 3:02)

LINKS Topic from Les Archives de Radio-Canada on the same subject Mercure : des eaux empoisonnées Related Topics from CBC's Archives Acid Rain: Pollution and Politics External sites Environmental devastation at Grassy Narrows Fact Sheet - English-Wabigoon River Mercury Compensation - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Indian and Northern Affairs Canada: The White Dog and Grassy Narrows Story Environment Canada: Mercury: Fishing for answers Health Canada: Mercury in fish The CBC assumes no responsibility for the content of external links.

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