July 7th – Land of Destiny at the Sarnia Library

LAND OF DESTINY – A documentary about Sarnia

Thursday July 7th, 2011 at the Sarnia Library 124 S. Christina St.
Doors open at 6:30pm, screening at 7pm
$5 at the door

Land of Destiny is a film about the health, jobs, families, and everyday lives of residents of Sarnia, Ontario.

A hard-working petrochemical town is rocked by revelations that its workers suffer an epidemic of cancers. But even more terrifying is the prospect of deindustrialization and joblessness.

The landscape of Sarnia — with boarded storefronts, the bright sprawl of petrochemical plants, swollen hospital wards and crowded bars — has much in common with the rest of the modern world. Tattooed men serving fries, basement musicians, boilermakers and volunteer firemen, heartbroken widows and an optimistic mayor… the lives of a mix of characters link up to show dramas of an industrial town out of sync with a transitioning economy.

Land of Destiny offers an intimate story about work, struggle, and survival.

National Asbestos Delivery Day

Brian White

Thousands of families in Sarnia-Lambton know first-hand the tragic outcomes of working with asbestos. Despite this, the riding voted in the recent Federal Election 52% in favour of the party that supports this industry. It’s clear more education is needed. Go to CanadaCausesCancer.com. I also have a facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Canadas-Asbestos-Exports/172490709448726

Me arriving to tape the petition document and the asbestos to Conservative MP Pat Davidson’s office.

Using the same high-standard breathing apparatus used by our brothers in the countries we are for some reason okay with processing this stuff.

Sarnia is ground zero for asbestos deaths in Canada. Despite claims that she is finally opposed to this export, Davidson still represents the PM, along with the Party who absolutely, in-your-face, supports this industry.

Asbestos is a hazardous substance

S.H.A.M.E. is a signatory on the following letter -

Dear Prime Minister Harper:

On June 20, 2011, the 143 countries that have ratified the U.N. Rotterdam Convention will meet in Geneva.At that meeting, the delegates will decide whether to approve the recommendation of the Convention’s expert scientific body to put chrysotile asbestos (the only form of asbestos traded in the world today) on the Convention’s list of hazardous substances.

For more than seven years, Canada, along with a handful of other countries, has blocked this recommendation, thus putting protection of the interests of the asbestos industry ahead of protection of global health.

We ask that at the June Conference of the Parties, Canada, for the first time, support the listing of chrysotile asbestos.

The purpose of the Rotterdam Convention is to bring about responsible trade of hazardous substances by requiring that exporting countries obtain “prior informed consent” before shipping substances, which are on the Convention’s list, to another country.

Don’t Frack With Us! – video

Zak gives a statement in this video, and Toban also is involved in S.H.A.M.E.

http://www.mediacoop.ca/story/dont-frack-southwestern-ontario/7409

Fracking is a toxic, dangerous, and wasteful form of natural gas extraction that we may see around London, Ontario.

Join us on FaceBook! “Don’t frack around London, Ontario“

Cortney Dakin also gave a great statement that didn’t make it into this video

Filmed in London Ontario Canada at City Hall May 2011
Filmed and Edited by Mike Roy
We Are Change London/Toronto
http://www.wearechangetoronto.org

Don’t frack around southwestern Ontario

Toban Black on the Media Co-op

At the end of May, some of us gathered for a “Don’t frack with us!” protest in London, Ontario.

The rally call-out said -

Fracking is a toxic, dangerous, and wasteful form of natural gas extraction that we may see around London, Ontario. The water pollution is the worst of the fracking impacts. Tap water has become flammable after fracking is done to break gas out of nearby shale rock. A stew of toxic chemicals is pumped into each gas well, and radium is one of many underground substances that can be unintentionally released during this extraction.

Answers sought on cancer cluster

Crystal Garcia in the Port Huron Times Herald

Public meeting held by American health officials

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MICH. — Emotions ran high Thursday at a public forum to address a cancer cluster involving children.

About 200 people attending the meeting looking for answers about the ongoing investigation into a Wilms tumor cancer cluster in St. Clair County.

A panel of speakers included Dr. Annette Mercatante, medical director of the St. Clair County Health Department, Dr. Hadi Sawaf, pediatric oncologist at St. John Providence Hospital and Greg Brown, director of environmental health at the health department.

Gas leak prompts evacuation in south Sarnia

A write-up and a video from Shawn Jeffords, in The Observer

A gas leak adjacent to one of Sarnia’s busiest streets forced the evacuation of 15 homes Wednesday.

The roar of an exposed gas pipe could be heard hundreds of metres from the ruptured line near the intersection of Confederation and Palmerston streets.

A construction crew working on the site accidentally cut the line, said Sarnia police Staff Sgt. Dave Bonnema.

“We’re fortunate. The wind is so strong today that it’s just lifting the gas up into the air,” he said at the scene.

Centers for Disease Control stepping in to help solve cancer mystery

A video and a written article from WXYZ-TV

MARINE CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) – At just seven-months old little Ireland Kulman has repeatedly gone under the knife. Doctors have even removed one of her kidneys.

Ireland is one of eight children in and around Marine City diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer called Wilms’ tumor. The cluster of cases is so unusual the Centers for Disease Control is now getting involved to help solve the mystery of why young children are becoming infected.

Last month Action News first introduced you to Ireland and several other children with the cancer, ten and under, who have undergone dozens of chemotherapy treatments, along with countless visits to doctor’s offices.

Parents Seeking Answers in Rash of Tumors

A video from TV20 Detroit News

MARINE CITY, Mich. (MyTV 20 News at 10) – It’s a mystery that continues to plague portions of St. Clair County tonight. A hearing takes place Thursday Night to try and find out what’s causing several cases of a rare form of cancer among young children. My TV20′s Dave Leval talks with several women whose children are affected.

Public Forum on Wilms Tumor/Cancer Cluster

WHEN – June 2nd, 7pm
WHERE – At the Washington Life Center, 403 N. Mary Street, Marine City. (Former Washington Elementary)

The St. Clair County Health Department is trying to figure out if environmental factors are causing Wilms tumor — a rare kidney cancer that affects children.

The cases are in the Marine City/China Township area, the Port Huron area and on the border of St. Clair and Macomb counties in Richmond.

EVERYONE is invited to come….you do not need to speak…just come out & show your support of the community!!! The more people that attend…the more this will be taken seriously!!! Please invite your friends in the community to attend as well!!

[On Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156953187703805]