Feds play support, not lead, in Grassy Narrows mercury contamination: Trudeau
OTTAWA — The ongoing mercury poisoning on the Grassy Narrows First Nation is “very much” an Ontario issue, Justin Trudeau says — a point of contention for indigenous leaders who want action on the prime minister’s personal promise to address the problem “once and for all.”
Trudeau’s remarks come after a new report — commissioned by Grassy Narrows First Nation and funded by Ontario — found there is ongoing mercury contamination in the area from a paper mill in Dryden, Ont., that was decommissioned decades ago.
“The Grassy Narrows issue is very much a provincial issue,” he told a news conference Wednesday in Calgary.
“But the federal government, under my leadership, is certainly very engaged with the province to ensure we are moving forward in the right direction.”