Other Possible Sources of Environmental Contamination

When talking about cancer and chronic illnesses that may be occurring or caused by environmental contamination, it is important to consider other possible sources of contamination.

So, while this project focuses on the history and possible environmental contamination from CIL, BCL or DIL, the following is a brief list of other environmental concerns in the area, which have also been mentioned by local residents or uncovered through additional research:

1. 1. 1. Depot Harbour
      2. Massive oil spill in Parry Sound Harbour, 1950
      3. Old private landfills in the area
      4. Smokestacks in Sudbury
      5. Radon Gas
      6. Precambrian Shield (Canadian Shield)

For more information on these topics, I suggest researching online, in the Parry Sound local history section and at the Museum on Tower Hill.

Lay knowledge:

1. 1. 1. Parents that were alive during the oil spill in 1950 advised their children not to swim on the beaches in Parry Sound.
      2. Even today, if you dig 1-2 feet down on some of the nearby beaches on Georgian Bay you will reach oil from the 1950 spill.
      3. The old McDougall landfill was given back to the municipality by the Ministry of the Environment. What was buried at the landfill was unknown as it was a private landfill¹. There were discussions of working towards closing it once the municipality took over. However, years later, rather than closing the landfill, the municipality doubled its size. They purchased nearby properties from local landowners to create ‘buffer’ zones for potential migrating contamination.
      4. When the Sudbury smokestacks were raised, the wind brought the ash to Parry Sound. Birch trees began to die shortly thereafter.