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River Run 2019: Walk with Grassy Narrows for Mercury Justice, Toronto, Canada, 20 June 2019. Over 40 representatives from the Grassy Narrows community traveled 1,700km from their homes to Toronto, for a demonstration demanding the Candian government build a Mercury Home and Treatment Centre and compensate everyone in Grassy Narrows for the mercury crisis.
The devastating mercury crisis in Grassy Narrows First Nation community has persisted for decades, ever since 9 tonnes of mercury was dumped upstream in the 1960s, with little action from governments to help people to this day.
94% of Grassy Narrows members get no compensation for the serious impacts of the ongoing mercury crisis on their health, culture, and livelihoods.
In November of 2017, then-minister Jane Philpott committed to build and operate a Mercury Survivors Home and Care Center in Grassy Narrows. But only 1% of the cost to build the facility has flowed and the project is stalled. Meanwhile, Grassy Narrows people continue to die early due to mercury poisoning, while others suffer without the specialized care and support that they need.