Members of Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek First Nation (Grassy Narrows) are once again preparing to travel 1900 km to Toronto to call for mercury justice. The people of Grassy Narrows, led by mothers and youth, have been demanding government action for decades since a pulp and paper mill dumped tons of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River system in the 1960s. For decades, the provincial government claimed that remediation of the watershed was not possible. The community has kept on advocating relentlessly and has finally begun to win. In 2017, the Ontario government promised to clean the river and committed $85 million in funding. In 2020, the provincial and federal governments committed funding for a Mercury Care Home to provide medical and nursing care to people affected by mercury poisoning. Change is coming, slowly. The river cleanup is still at the stage of feasibility studies. Construction on the Mercury Care Home has begun.
So much more is needed to repair the damage of generations of mercury poisoning, which currently affects over 90% of the community. Brown Eagle, also called Darwin, a young leader from Grassy Narrows, has shared publicly: “I have a lot of health conditions that I shouldn’t be dealing with at my age … Mercury poisoning attacks the nervous system. Many people suffer from learning disabilities, numbness, coordination problems, speech problems and loss of vision … The youth of Grassy should be living very different lives.” At every River Run, community members carry photos of relatives and friends who have died far too young.
The youth of Grassy Narrows should not have to wait another generation for effective action to heal the land, waters and people. In addition to the river cleanup and Mercury Care Home, the community is calling for compensation for all members of Grassy Narrows, and a government commitment to protect the lands and waters of Grassy Narrows’ traditional territory from further harmful industrial activities.
With the current provincial and federal governments, being heard is a struggle. In the last several years, people from Grassy Narrows have relentlessly protested mining claims staked on their traditional territory without their consent and plans for nuclear waste disposal upstream. They have demanded the closure of the Dryden Mill, which reopened in 2023. They have protested Ontario’s Bill 5, which allows the government to fast-track industrial projects by exempting them from any laws and regulations it chooses. Ontario Premier Doug Ford refuses to meet with people from Grassy Narrows to discuss compensation, and has had community members and allies repeatedly ejected from public events where they have protested his silence. Prime Minister Mark Carney has so far ignored calls for an apology after he jokingly dismissed Grassy Narrows grandmother Chrissy Swain’s cries for justice during a government press conference.
Let us pray for healing for the people of Grassy Narrows and other affected communities.
Let us pray for courage and hope for the youth of Grassy Narrows, who have been waiting for justice their whole lives and yet find strength in continuing to advocate for their community.
Let us pray for strength and support for the mothers, grandmothers, and all caregivers of Grassy Narrows who carry the community.
Let us pray for the protection and restoration of the English-Wabigoon River watershed.
Let us pray for the empowerment of movements that prioritize the health of future generations over short-term gains.
And let us pray that the stone walls of governments and corporations that refuse to act may be shaken.
RSVP for River Run in Toronto on Wednesday, 23 September at 12 pm!
