Federal ministers summoned over Fort Chipewyan contamination scandal

The community of about 1,200 on the tip of Lake Athabasca is dealing with potentially carcinogenic contamination around its dock (CTV News)

A federal committee will grill cabinet ministers over Transport Canada’s failure to inform Indigenous communities about water and soil contamination at a dock in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta.

The federal Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development passed a motion by NDP MP Laurel Collins summoning cabinet ministers, Indigenous leaders and experts to testify about the contamination and communication breach.

“It is particularly egregious that the government knew about the contaminated dock at least since 2017 and that there haven't been steps to address it,” Collins told Canada’s National Observer in a phone interview. The health of First Nations must be given priority, she added.

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Sediment and groundwater samples from a 2017 Transport Canada study showed nickel, arsenic and harmful hydrocarbons exceeded guidelines in many samples near the dock where community members swim and fish. Both arsenic and nickel are cancer-causing and can have other negative health impacts.

Three weeks ago, Indigenous leaders revealed that Transport Canada knew for years its Fort Chipewyan dock and surrounding areas were contaminated, but chose not to tell the community.

This spring, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (AFCN) asked the federal agency to dredge the river surrounding the dock, which provides a critical escape route during wildfire season.

Transport Canada refused, so the ACFN hired a contractor to do the work. In the process, they discovered the federal agency had refused because dredging would stir up contaminants.

Transport Canada has still not shared the health and ecological risk assessment it cites with the affected communities or the media.

The federal government needs to be held accountable to their commitment to uphold treaty rights, implement reconciliation and protect the health and well-being of Indigenous communities, Collins said.

“Failing to inform the nations on this territory is an infringement on their aboriginal and treaty rights. It disregards human health. It seems like a very clear example of environmental racism,” said Collins.

Collins’ motion calls on a slew of cabinet ministers to explain the federal government’s decision-making: Minister of Transport Anita Anand, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan, Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu, and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree.

Ministers will be questioned in a two-hour meeting with the committee.

The motion also invites Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam, Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro, and Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation President Kendrick Cardinal to explain how this incident is affecting their communities.

This study is a “step in the right direction” and an opportunity to “correct the wrongdoing, but it would be nice if the government communicates with us and lets us know what are the next steps that we're going to take, because there's no form of communication when it comes to this issue.

Everybody seems to be baffled by it, and nobody wants to address it,” Adam said.

On Oct. 4, a few days after the three First Nation and Metis leaders went public about the contamination, Guilbeault told Adam that Anand would get in touch with him. More than two weeks later, this has not happened, said Adam.

Anand’s press secretary said the government “is working with the local First Nations community to ensure that operations at the port facility are carried out safely,” in an emailed statement to Canada’s National Observer on Oct. 2.

The community wants to deal with the issue, but the lack of action and communication “makes it frustrating for everybody,” Adam said.

“I don't want to say something bad in regards to this, but I just hope something good comes out of it.”

Collins said it is “appalling” that Anand “hasn't reached out or contacted the nations who are impacted by this, especially after they gave an explicit call to action.”

The three leaders explained that not only is the Transport Canada dock critical infrastructure for day-to-day transportation and a lifeline during emergencies, it is also an area where community members swim, fish and harvest food.

Her motion additionally invites Mandy Olsgard, a toxicologist advising the nations, and Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry DeMarco to testify.

Collins wanted research to begin as soon as possible, but the motion says the Fort Chipewyan dock study will begin after the environment committee finishes hearing witnesses for three other ongoing studies: factors that led to the recent fires in Jasper National Park, environment and climate impacts related to the Canadian financial system and a briefing on the net zero accelerator fund.

“This is an urgent matter and an emergency for these communities,” Collins said.

“This is their only way of evacuating in the event of a wildfire, which we know has happened before in the area, and will happen again.”

Transport Canada spokesperson Sau Sau Lui told Canada’s National Observer in an emailed statement “the site was not likely to pose any risks to human health” based on the department's health and ecological risk assessment.

Lui did not share a copy of the follow-up assessment or explain why the department would not make it public. Transport Canada has reached out to representatives of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Lui added.

It’s going to take all levels of government — federal, provincial, and municipal — to address this issue, Adam said.

For example, the community has been asking for the water intake to be moved about 30 kilometres up the lake ever since Adam was elected Chief in 2007.

“People want to have that assurance, but it's going to cost quite a bit,” he noted.

NDP MPs Collins, Lori Idlout, Taylor Bachrach, Blake Desjarlais and Heather McPherson sent a letter to the five federal ministers on Oct. 22, urging them to “meet immediately” with the leaders of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation and Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation.

The letter pointed out that Transport Canada has been aware of the contamination at the dock site since 1997 and noted that last year these communities were impacted when millions of litres of wastewater leaked from Imperial Oil’s Kearl oil sands tailings site.