Environmental racism

Environmental racism, coined by Benjamin Chavis describes policies and practices that target racialized communities as places for toxic waste facilities and the life-threatening presence of poisons and pollutants; historical exclusion of racialized people from leadership within the environmental movement - Benjamin Chavis, adapted by Michelle Xie

Examples of Environmental Racism in so-called Canada:

Grassy Narrows (Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek)

"Between 1962 and 1970, Dryden Chemicals Ltd. dumped mercury into the English-Wabigoon river system. Dryden is located upstream from Grassy Narrows. The mercury poisoned fish in the river system, a primary source of food and income for the community. The Ontario provincial government subsequently advised the community to stop eating fish and, in 1970, closed their commercial fishery. The closure resulted in economic disaster. Within a year of the fishery closing, Grassy Narrows’ unemployment rate jumped from 5 per cent to 95 per cent. Although Dryden Chemicals Ltd. closed in 1976, concerns about the health effects of mercury contamination remain." -Ingrid Waldron

Aamijiwnaang First Nation

"The nation has long dealt with air pollution from industrial facilities in the area, such as oil refineries, power generating stations, and landfills. Chemical Valley is Canada’s largest petrochemical complex, grouping over 60 petrochemical facilities within a 25 km² area. High rates of cancer, respiratory illness and reproductive health issues have been linked to these facilities. Many members of the community depended on fish from the St. Clair River, which flows through Chemical Valley. The river has been the receptor for 32 major spills and 300 minor ones between 1974 and 1986. These spills have contributed to approximately 10 tonnes of pollutants in the St. Clair River." -Ingrid Waldron

Africville

"In 1965, the City of Halifax embarked on an urban renewal campaign. The campaign took property away from and displaced members of the Africville community. The area subsequently became the location of several environmental and social hazards. These hazards included a fertilizer plant, slaughterhouse, tar factory, stone and coal crushing plant, cotton factory, prison, three systems of railway tracks, and an open dump. Africville descendants fought back over the years. Most recently, in November 2016, up to 300 former residents and their descendants joined an application submitted to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. The application was for a class-action lawsuit against Halifax over the loss of their land. In 2018, a judge turned down the application. The judge ruled that the plaintiff had not “satisfied the requirements” to certify the class action, which prevented the case from proceeding." -Ingrid Waldron

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