Public health officials urge coming government to stick to emissions targets for Horne Smelter
Health officials in Rouyn-Noranda are calling on the soon-to-be-elected government to hold a local smelter to its 2029 target to reduce arsenic emissions in the community, CBC News reported.
Back in 2022, a study from Quebec’s national institute of public health showed that the copper smelter was emitting harmful amounts of arsenic and cadmium, and that residents of the city have a higher rate of lung cancer than the rest of the province. Glencore, the company that owns the Horne Smelter, was ordered by the government in 2022 to lower its arsenic emissions to 15 nanograms per cubic metre by 2027, a rate still five times the provincial cap of 3 ng/m3.
The company threatened to close the facility in February of this year, citing difficulties meeting their new emissions targets, and was given a two-year extension by the government.
Several local doctors have called on provincial representatives to not give any more extensions to the company.
“For us, it’s important that the monitoring is there, the clear accountability is there, and we don’t get to 2029 and move it again,” said Dr. Omobola Sobanjo, director of public health for Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
A Glencore spokesperson told CBC that the timeline of 2029 would be respected and have made extensive efforts to communicate with the public.
Crown prosecutors investigating Wakefield ski hill death
Crown prosecutors are looking into the case of a teen girl who died in a ski-lift accident at a Wakefield ski hill earlier this year, CBC News reported.
On Feb. 11, 13-year-old Megan Bell of Ottawa was on a school trip at Centre Vorlage when a piece of her clothing became caught in the ski lift while she was trying to dismount. Her parents told CBC News it was her hood, and she was deprived of oxygen for roughly 10 minutes during the rescue attempt. She died four days later.
The teen’s parents have since questioned the safety protocols in place at the hill and emergency equipment available.
The MRC des Collines police completed their investigation into the incident in July. Now the crown prosecutor’s office, known by the French acronym DPCP, is deciding whether charges should be laid, based on the evidence presented. Both Ontario and Quebec coroners are also investigating the case.
The ski hill’s owners told CBC that they were committed to learning from the findings of the investigations.
Families, survivors mark 20th anniversary of Dawson College shooting
Last Friday, a memorial was held in Montreal to mark the 20th anniversary of the Dawson College shooting, which took place Sept. 13 2006, CBC News reported. The ceremony took place at the school’s peace garden, a campus memorial that was created in the wake of the tragedy.
Eighteen-year-old Anastasia De Sousa was killed and 19 others were injured in the shooting at the downtown Montreal CÉGEP. The shooter, a 25-year-old man, later took his own life after being shot by police.
Jean Charest, who was premier at the time of the shooting, spoke at the memorial, calling it “a moment of hope.”
“It should be a moment of inspiration. And a moment to remember this beautiful young lady. But also to celebrate her legacy, through her life, and what she has left us today,” he said.
