Ontario apologizes to miners, families for harm caused by McIntyre Powder – CBC
Exposure to aluminum oxide powder has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, lung problems
Nov 30, 2022
Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton gave a long-awaited apology Wednesday afternoon to mine workers who were exposed to McIntyre Powder for over three decades and their families.
From 1943 to 1979, miners in northern Ontario were forced to breathe in the black ground aluminum dust before they started their shifts.
Their employers told them the powder would protect them from the lung disease silicosis, but many of them developed neurological disorders and lung issues years later.
In 2020, researchers recommended the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB) recognize that miners forced to inhale McIntyre Powder were at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/mcintyre-powder-apology-1.6669730
