CANADA: McGuinty urges former forestry workers exposed to Agent Orange to come forward

McGuinty urges former forestry workers exposed to Agent Orange to come forward

Premier Dalton McGuinty is urging forestry workers who were sprayed with cancer-causing toxins — including Agent Orange — decades ago to come forward.

"This is unbelievable," he said in a statement. "The Ministry of Natural Resources sat on this information and did nothing for years while northerners suffered ill health. This is the same chemical used in war."

"These people need to be tested," Bisson added. "And if cancer is detected due to those harmful chemicals, they need to be treated, and if necessary, compensation awarded."

The ministry is taking "immediate steps" to gather as much information as possible on the government's use of the herbicides, but much of it predates electronic records and will take time to assemble and evaluate, she said.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has set up a dedicated phone line (1-800-387-0750, extension 416-344-4440) for anyone who may have questions and the ministry is making information available on its website, she said.