'A cover up': Fort Chipewyan releases report showing cancer-causing substances found at dock

A supplied photo of the dock in Fort Chipewyan taken in September 2024. (Source: Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation)

Low water levels on the Athabasca River in Fort Chipewyan this Spring revealed more than community leaders had bargained for.

"Fort Chipewyan is an isolated community with no permanent road, at the same time we had three wildfires burning within two kilometres from the airport," said Chief Allan Adam, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.

"We were worried that we would have no escape from the community so we applied to Transport Canada to dredge the dock and they refused but they didn't tell us why," Adam added.

As the community began an application to dredge it themselves - the chief said a report about the town's dock was "leaked" to him.

"We found out that since 2017 Transport Canada has been aware that a dock, that is in the heart of Fort Chipewyan, was contaminated with cancer-causing substances," said Adam.

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For eight years Adam said Transport Canada never told the community about the report's findings – that many of the toxins were above legal limits.

"This is a cover up. This is environmental racism and this is deadly," said Adam.

"The 2017 report only considered commercial use for the site and did not reflect the reality of people swimming, fishing, hunting, trapping and harvesting there."

Mikisew Cree Nation's Chief also believes it's a cover up.

"And it's sad because the federal government always talks about truth and reconciliation but yet they cannot be truthful to something that's so important to us and that's the health of our water," said Chief Billy Joe Tuccaro.

"In fact, Transport Canada has been trying to sell us this dock since 2013. We have had over 10 meetings with them and never once told us of the liability we would be taking on," said Adam.

In an email, a spokesperson from Transport Canada tells CTV News Edmonton "As the conversations with Fort Chipewyan regarding procurement of the dock never progressed, the detailed information was not shared."

The department did confirm it commissioned the 2017 report which looked at risks to human health and wildlife.

"The study determined that the site was not likely to pose any risks to human health," the department said.

Transport Canada said it was completed by a "qualified environmental professional with appropriate certifications".

"The RA (risk assessment) also considered a variety of uses such as swimming and fishing," the email continued.

Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand's office tells CTV News Edmonton based on risk assessments done over the years which took uses like fishing and swimming into account, there is "no risk to human health".

The First Nation has since conducted two of its own studies.

"That confirm that the sites are still contaminated with cancer-causing agents," Adam said.

"We're very scared now finding this out because a lot of us allow our kids to go into those waters for recreational use," said Tuccaro.

Leaders now wonder if there's a link between the contaminated dock and the community's cancer rates.

"Fort Chipewyan is already well known as a community stricken by cancer at the rate twice that of the rest of Alberta," said Adam.

In a statement Wednesday night to CTV News Edmonton, the Office of the Minister of Health said there have not been any new cases of cholangiocarcinoma in Fort Chipewyan registered since 2017.

It also said no childhood cancer cases have been diagnosed in Fort Chipewyan since 1997, and that detailed statistical assessments of the incidence of cancer in the community are completed every three years. 

The Nations leaders are urging people to avoid the dock and to not consume fish, plants or animals from the waterfront area. Health-screening and healing circles are also being made available.

They want Transport Canada to repair and bring the dock up to code, remediate the site, install a temporary dock so a canal can be dredged for future boat access.

They're also demanding further testing be done along the waterfront, the Nations be reimbursed for the tests it completed, any other data about the dock be made available and changes be made to policies to ensure it doesn't happen again.

The transportation ministry said it was told by Transport Canada dredging can't happen right now because the process would move contaminated sediment. Work is said to be underway to determine the best way to remediate sediment at the site.

"Our Government is working with the local First Nations community to ensure that operations at the port facility are carried out safely," an email from Minister Anand's office read.

"Remote and Indigenous communities must have access to the safe and reliable connectivity that they need," it continued.

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree Nation and Fort Chipewyan Metis Nation have all reached out to the federal government but said they have yet to receive any answers.

"This is just an example of how low value Transport Canada and the federal government place on Indigenous lives," Adam said.

"We will not rest until this problem is resolved and those who participated in the cover up are brought to justice," he added.

The leaders are extending an invitation to the government to discuss the issue in-person, in their community. If that doesn't happen, Tuccaro said they'll take their concerns to Ottawa.

"It seems that's where you have to go for them to actually come to the table," he said.

"And if that does not work I guess we as a community will have to unite and target some key areas to shut down the economic engine of Canada to make our word be heard because enough is enough," Tuccaro added.

He also said the Mikisew Cree Nation is exploring possible legal action.