Charteris residents receive water advisory, Outaouais public health official issues warning after several people complain of nausea, diarrhea: The Outaouais Public Health Department (OPHD) has issued a warning to some residents of Charteris on Hwy. 303 near Wesley Road in the Municipality of Clarendon to not drink their water.

After some residents complained of nausea and diarrhea last week, the public health department issued the advisory.

Some residents are concerned paper mill sludge from the Maclaren pulp mill in Thurso, which has been spread in the area in the past two weeks, is the cause of the illnesses.

“In some cases, it seems that this sludge was spread within 90 metres of some wells, possibly affecting the water from these wells,” said the public health department in a recent press release.

“Although the link between the spreading of the paper mill sludge and these symptoms has not been confirmed, the public health department issued a notice to the Municipality of Clarendon Friday, asking those citizens concerned not to drink their water.”

However, Luc Lapointe, a Clarendon farmer who spreads the sludge on his property, said that the sludge can not be contaminating the water supply.

“There is no way that the sludge can be contaminating the water because it has not rained,” said Lapointe. “The sludge is not any more dangerous than any other pesticide that is used on farms in the area. I have not seen any proof yet that would show that the sludge contaminates the water supply.”

This is not the first time that residents in Clarendon complained about the sludge. In 1999, residents have complained about the strong odour of the sludge.

“There is so much of the odour in the air,” said Ted Lance, Clarendon resident and owner of Pontiac Springs Water Supply. “I hope that it doesn’t contaminate my water supply or I will have to take action.”

Charlie Smith, a resident of Clarendon, will be presenting a petition to the Clarendon council tonight requesting that the spreading of the sludge be stopped.

There have been some rumours that the water in Shawville has been contaminated as well.

“This information is untrue,” said Shawville Mayor Albert Armstrong. “Our water has been checked and it is perfectly fine. Whoever started these rumours was misinformed,” added Armstrong.

Health Minister Rock announces rural health aid: Federal Health Minister Allan Rock visited Pontiac Community Hospital Friday to announce that the federal government will contribute more than $440,000 for three rural health initiatives.

“The access of health care in rural areas has been difficult, but we want to change this by creating better medical facilities in rural areas,” said Rock.

Also present at the announcement was MP Robert Bertrand, Dr. Keith MacLellan, Dr. John Wootton and director-general of Pontiac Health Services Charlotte L’Ecuyer.

In the 1999 federal budget, the government announced the three-year $50-million Innovations in Rural and Community Health Initiative to promote the availability and integration of health services for all Canadians, including those living in rural areas.

The four priorities of the initiative are rural and remote care, home and community care, access to and affordability of drugs and integration of service delivery.

The Shawville chapter of the Society for Rural Physicians of Canada will receive $150,000 to distribute a hepatitis C information CD-ROM for rural doctors, which will serve as an educational tool updating doctors on the latest science and treatment of hepatitis.

The society will also receive $245,000 to pilot a rural health continuing-education project to provide health care providers with skills a rural teleradiology network pilot study, which will enable doctors to look at x-rays from other hospitals on computers.

This will link rural areas and enable the sharp promises of the health act.”

Dr. MacLellan said that the network pilot study should benefit rural hospitals. “Demography and geography has prevented specialists to come to rural areas,” said Dr. MacLellan. “It is gratifying that Rock has listened and his government is making steps to try and improve rural health care.”

Dr. Wootton said that the projects will only succeed with the collaboration of both levels of government and the community. “With the collaboration with both levels of government we can renew the services we provide for rural medicine,” said Dr. Wootton.

Wootton said that PCH has already made steps to improve the conditions for the hospital. “The CT Scan project is an example of what a small community can achieve on their own,” said Dr. Wootton. “If we all work together we can achieve more.”

Rock said that the short-term goals are to increase the expertise of physicians in place, to speed up the number of doctors graduating by offering more spaces in medical schools and to change primary services, meaning general physician care, with the projects.

“I realize there is a shortage of physicians in this country, but I believe that these kinds of projects are a step in the right direction,” said Rock.