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“Such conditions would not be tolerated elsewhere in Ontario,” she said. “Yet (Indigenous communities) have long been deemed unworthy of priority, effort or expense.”

Judy Da Silva, the Grassy Narrows environmental health co-ordinator, said the report validates concerns expressed by many in her community.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” she said, “for Canadian society to acknowledge that there are massive pollution problems.”

Da Silva called the report an important first step but said the government must follow it up with action to treat community members sickened by the pollution.

“People … have to come out of their little bubble and realize whatever effects First Nations is essentially going to affect their children and grandchildren,” she said. “The pollution doesn’t stay in the First Nation. It moves on.”

Aamjiwnaang Chief Joanne Rogers said she hopes the Ontario government will take the commissioner’s report as a sign that it needs to work with Indigenous communities to address the impacts of pollution.

“We have to work together to keep my community, our community of Aamjiwnaang safe and healthy,” she said.

Ontario Environment Minister Chris Ballard said the government agrees with Saxe that more must be done to support Indigenous communities.

The Liberal government is spending $85 million to clean up the mercury-contaminated English-Wabigoon River system near the Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations, Ballard said. The area has dealt with mercury poisoning since a paper mill in Dryden dumped 9,000 kilograms of the substance into the Wabigoon and English River systems in the 1960s.