Ontario NDP Leader visits Gogama derailment site

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in Gogama Thursday to visit the site of the CN train derailment and spill.

She was joined by MPPs Michael Mantha and France Gélinas, MP Claude Gravelle and representatives from CN, GHD, the Gogama Local Services Board and the Mattagami First Nation.

“People in Gogama rely on seasonal tourism industries such as fishing, hunting, camping and other wilderness tourism for their livelihoods,” said Horwath, in a news release.

“Contamination of the Mattagami River and Minisinakwa Lake is of enormous importance to the people of this area.”

A June 2015 community-led report on the Gogama spill showed that local residents still have outstanding safety concerns, and emphasized that the community needs clear, consistent and up-to-date information from CN and the province.

The community has raised concerns that they aren’t receiving regular updates on the status of the Gogama site, remediation or environmental testing from the provincial Ministry of the Environment.

Horwath called for the government to ensure that residents are being properly informed.

“Residents are telling us that government officials are not responding to emails and other requests for information,” said Horwath. “The Ministry of the Environment has a duty to keep local residents informed as to the status of the safety of their community. Their livelihoods depend on that.”