Occupational & Environmental Health Coalition - Peterborough
The Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition – Peterborough
OEHCP Summary & Statement:
OEHCP SUMMARY
“From the right to know and the duty to inquire flows the obligation to act” – Sandra Steingraber, American environmental activist
Inspired by the determination, advocacy and impeccable information resource of one man – John Ball, and following up from the 1st Occupational Health Clinics for ON Workers (OHCOW) held in Peterborough in 2004, the Occupational & Environmental Health Coalition – Peterborough (OEHCP) was formed initially under the leadership of Marion Burton, then-chair of the Peterborough District Labour Council (PDLC).
Concerned citizens of Peterborough City and County joined the monthly meetings over the next few years. Together, they initiated the first two public seminars in 2007 & 2008 as part of a strategy to increase awareness of the alarming findings that emerged from the OHCOW Peterborough Project clinic.
The OEHCP led the growing number of participants under the guidance of a steering committee*. From 2006 – 2015, the OEHCP facilitated and implemented public projects and events, provided support groups for workers, widows and families (“Families-In-Waiting”), engaged local media, educated local politicians and civil servants and assisted workers in navigating the complex compensation system (WSIB).
The OEHCP advocacy and action project launched in 2015 – “The Gary Lane Project”, resulted in astonishingly informative and graphic media coverage of the workers and widows’ stories in the Toronto STAR that catapulted the Minister of Labour into action. Other projects were completed, such as “Report of the Advisory Committee on Retrospective Exposure Profiling of the Production Processes at the General Electric Production Facility in Peterborough, Ontario 1945-2000”.
The OEHCP became affectionately known as “The Coalition”. These political and media initiatives resulted in many more successful WSIB claims being granted.
Informed by the OEHCP original mission to educate and offer support to the Peterborough community regarding the impact of industrial pollutants from the past, present and future and to serve as a voice to help shape policy decisions related to industrial toxins that impact the environment and our wellbeing, the Coalition intensified all of its work.
The Coalition disbanded in June 2018, proud to have addressed most of the initial findings from the 2004 OHCOW clinic. These findings had been reported to the then-Peterborough County-City Health Unit in February 2005.
A community of local activists continue as part of the Coalition legacy – spin-off groups, many of whom were influenced by the founding, guiding OEHCP principles: precautionary principle, restorative justice, community right to know, respect for individuals.
After the death of John Ball in May 2018, the remaining OEHCP steering committee members (Heather Brooks-Hill, Marion Burton, Kathy Dracup-Harris and Don McConnell) approached Trent University’s TCRC in the summer of 2020 seeking 4th year students’ participation in creating this website and organizing the collection of files that were meticulously kept over many decades by John Ball.
OEHCP STATEMENT
OEHCP stands firm in pursuing presumptive entitlement for the historical GE cohort of occupational disease claims. The Coalition believes that this is the only route to ensure the claimants in the cohort would see fair compensation in their lifetime.
After twelve years of studying, researching, supporting and providing the infrastructure for the affected community to come together, we are convinced that we have left “no stone unturned” (Kerin 2016) in pursuing all possible paths to address Peterborough’s lethal legacy – a miscarriage of justice.
Our community – both those directly affected and those who belong to the wider Peterborough community, expects government action to bring fair adjudication, fair compensation and closure for the GE cohort, the community and the province.
The recently published Unifor REPORT strongly supports OEHCP’s advocacy for presumption entitlement.
We recognize this would be a bold, courageous move on the part of Ontario’s Minister of Labour and we expect nothing less from our provincial government than full support for the implementation of presumptive entitlement for the historical GE cohort.
OEHCP Co-chairs
Marion Burton 705.868.7352 Heather Brooks-Hill 705.927.1283 Peterborough ON
June 25th 2017
Read More About the OEHCP
Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition Peterborough (OEHC-P)
A coalition of individual citizens, Peterborough & District Labor Council, GE retirees, widows and families came together as a working group in response to the alarming findings of OHCOW – Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers. The OEHC-P supports those who have been impacted by occupational and environmental disease and advocates for the action to reduce the burden of such diseases resulting from Peterborough‘s industrial history. Read more in the Backgrounder …
SHUTDOWN JOBS: The Dirtiest Jobs!
This document regarding” SHUTDOWNS” at General Electric (GE) Peterborough was requested by WSIB for a particular file currently in the WISB claim process. This is not a scientific document but rather it is descriptive in nature put together from brief excerpts of interviews with retired GE workers. Read more …
The Asbestos Snowstorm
“THE ASBESTOS SNOWSTORM” – impact of airborne asbestos particles in GE Peterborough Building 16 and adjoining buildings.
This document was prepared by retired GE workers to provide additional information on asbestos exposure in the plant for GE workers, widows and families who were applying for WSIB compensation claims. Read More….
What Is Fair Compensation?
What is Fair Compensation? 2013 and Looking Ahead – A Submission for Public Consultation and Discussion
On the 100th anniversary of the workmen compensation act, and in celebration of the 1913 act, we take this consultation and the WSIB consultation discussion paper very seriously. In addition we recognize that many – but not all – amendments and regulations have improved conditions and relationships for Ontario workers and employers with regard to occupational disease. Read more …
Why Is It Difficlt to Establish Cause and Effect for GE Workers?
Why is it difficult to establish cause and effect for the GE workers? A Discussion Paper: the potential synergistic effects of the exposures to multiple toxins and/or chronic low-level exposures in humans has not yet been established scientifically. Read More….
Navigating The System
The purpose of this compiled document is to assist in workers and their families with knowledge of the compensation claims process and to provide you with an overview of process and many of the expected steps at will be necessary for workers and/or families who are experiencing the affects of a long-term occupational disease or illness due to exposures in the workplace. Read more …
Integration: A Palliative Approach to Care – Abstract
Prepared for the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association Conference in Ottawa, September 2019: COMMUNITY BURDEN OF GRIEF – 13 years of addressing multiple loss in Peterborough Ontario. Read More….
Report for Discussion at SWG – Retrospective Work Histories for GE Workers
Minister States “A Presumptive Option” is Still On the Table for Peterborough GE Cohort WSIB Claims
Press Release
April 4th 2017 Peterborough – Yesterday, the Occupational & Environmental Health Coalition – Peterborough (OEHCP) deleiongation met with Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn to explore the route to bring justice for the historical cohort of GE workers and their families. The work has begun. The Minister agreed that justice is the highest priority for the Peterborough GE workers and their families – the cluster of occupational diseases resulting from multiple exposures