TimminsToday received the following letter from Joel Theriault regarding the use of non-essential toxic herbicides on forests in the region:
Attention fellow fishermen, hunters, and nature lovers; now is the time to speak up and protect Northern Ontario’s public forests!
Multinational corporations EACOM and RYAM are proposing another decade of spraying non-essential toxic chemical herbicides in the Timmins, Sudbury, and Kapuskasing regions because it’s cheaper than alternatives required for the past two decades in Quebec. Without your comments, the Ontario government will cave into the demands of these huge multinational corporations.
Comments are especially needed from First Nation members and band councils with constitutionally protected right's to fish and hunt, because of the governments responsibility to “minimally infringe” upon those rights. Minimal Infringement requires the use of known alternatives (to cancer causing chemicals) in the forestry renewal process, as required in Quebec since 2001. However, if no one “demands”, the government tends to ignore it’s obligations.
The Spanish Forest (managed by EACOM) covers a vast territory between Timmins and Sudbury. The deadline to comment for the next 10-year forestry plan is July 25 at midnight. Address your comments to [email protected]
The Gordon Cosens forest (managed by RYAM) covers an equally vast area between Timmins and Kapuskasing. The deadline to comment is Aug. 2 at midnight. Address your comments to [email protected].
In both cases, please also CC the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Hon. John Yakabuski [email protected] and demand that Ontario’s public boreal forests receive the same level of protection from non-essential toxic chemical herbicides as those in Quebec.
It’s been almost 20 years since these toxic chemical herbicides were banned from the Quebec forestry renewal system due to health and environmental concerns. It’s been a handful of years since they were banned from your front lawn for the same reasons.
Ironically, EACOM is prohibited from using these chemicals in the province of their headquarters (Quebec). However, they are still requesting to keep dumping them here in Ontario, by the tractor trailer load, out of helicopters, onto the most pristine forests in the province, which obviously are the drainage basins for the most pristine water bodies in the province.
Even the most expensive water filtration systems for cities such as Toronto are unable to effectively remove these chemicals (or their toxic byproducts) before they make their way into house hold drinking water taps. Small towns like Timmins don’t have a chance.
The current active ingredient in forest herbicides is called “Glyphosate”, which is the same active ingredient as used in Monsanto’s infamous “Round Up” weed killer. Can you imagine tractor trailer loads of “Round Up” being sprayed by helicopter over the most pristine forests of Northern Ontario? It’s unfortunately a sight that I see every day from May to November.
As a bush pilot with more than 6,000 hours, who has flown a Dehavilland Beaver nearly every day of the spring, summer, and fall for the past 20 years, I can tell you with absolute certainty that these toxins are not selective to only trees.
The big game animals disappear from these areas shortly after the spraying, and do not ever return in the same concentrations as before. Any trapper or hunter who walks these area’s by foot will tell you the same.
I urge you to please take five minutes out of your day and email your comments in opposition to the non-essential toxic chemical herbicide spray before the comment periods have expired. These chemical solutions are only “cheaper” because the multinational forestry companies place absolutely zero value in a healthy ecosystem full of fish and wildlife. I do not agree!
Joel Theriault
Environmental Lawyer and Bush Pilot
Foleyet, Ont.
