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By Kaleriya A and Alise T
On October 14, 2005, Federal health officials discovered the presence of E. Coli bacteria in the water system of Kashechewan, Ontario. Approximately 29% of residents in the region were evacuated to southern Ontario cities like Sudbury, Chochrane, and Timmins.
This is a serious problem as it has caused many devastating health effects for the residents of the region. There were many reports of sick children, countless rashes and vomitting incidences, and few deaths that had resulted from exposure to the contaminated water.
E. Coli bacteria are very harmful as they can cause infections, rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. They are generally caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. The water in the Kashechewan reserve was reported to be of odd colour (beige, yellow). This contamination was distributed through taps, bathtubs, and toilets.
After the E. Coli outbreak and a series of floods, several residents in the community petitioned to move Kashechewan to higher ground.
However, the government instead evacuated them to cities all throughout Ontario.
Government officials said that operators who were running the Kashechewan water treatment plant were not certified until Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) flew in trained personel. This is a huge problem because roughly 61% of people running water treatment facilities on native reserves are not certified, according to the federal government.
1.) National Post. "Lessons from Kashechewan." Lessons from Kashechewan. CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc., 21 Nov. 2005. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
2) News, CBC. "New Chief Aims to End Kashechewan 'problems'" CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 08 Aug. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
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"The training of the operators is very important to the equation. It's a critical aspect of ensuring the safety of the drinking water,"
(Ian Corbin, INAC's acting director general of community development, 2005)