DEEP DIVE: Grassy Narrows Community Launches Legal Actions Against Canadian Governments

The Grassy Narrows First Nation (Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek) in Ontario is wielding an array of legal tools against the federal and provincial governments to address ongoing environmental concerns.

On 4 June 2024, Grassy Narrows First Nation filed lawsuits against the provincial government of Ontario and the federal government of Canada alleging decades of mercury poisoning in the English-Wabigoon River system has violated their treaty rights.

The contamination of Grassy Narrows is considered one of Canada’s worst environmental disasters. Between 1962 and 1970, the Dryden pulp and paper mill, which is about 100 kilometers upstream from the Grassy Narrows community, discharged approximately 10 tons of mercury into the Wabigoon River. The resulting contamination destroyed much of the ecosystem and, consequently, the economic structure of the community. Since mercury bioaccumulates, it passes from one generation to the next through the placenta. Ninety percent of the population of Grassy Narrows now experiences symptoms of mercury poisoning.