TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 6, 2016) - A broad range of prominent groups will portage a red canoe along with the names of 35,000 people calling on premier Wynne to commit immediately to clean up Grassy Narrows' mercury poisoned river. They will carry the canoe 1,700 meters, one step for every kilometer that Grassy Narrows youth and elders travelled to Toronto in June to call for their river to be cleaned up - a demand for long overdue justice that has yet to be fulfilled.
Three generations of Grassy Narrows people bear the lifelong burden of mercury poisoning including loss of vision and hearing, tremors, and imbalance. Nothing has ever been done to clean the 9,000 kg of mercury that was dumped into the river that is the lifeblood of this Indigenous community even though scientists identified safe remediation methods in 1984 and again last May.
VISUAL: Supporters will portage a red canoe and 35,000 signatures up University Ave. to the steps of the Ontario Legislature.
WHAT: Press Conference and creative petition delivery.
WHEN: Thursday, July 7th
10:45 a.m. Portage begins at Grange Park, East side.
11:30 a.m. Portage arrives at Queens Park via University Ave.
12:00 p.m. Press conference in front of Legislature steps.
WHERE: Queen's Park, Toronto (front entrance, south side)
WHO: Speakers include Amara Possian (Leadnow.ca), Faisal Moola (David Suzuki Foundation), Dawn Bellrose (CUPE), Marie Clarke Walker (Canadian Labour Congress), and representatives from Toronto Council Fire, and Council of Canadians.
Contact Information:
Amara Possian
Campaign Manager
Leadnow.ca
amara@leadnow.ca
(416) 444-6811