After numerous requests from community members spanning over more than 20 years, a federally funded investigation will commence to assess the health repercussions of the oilsands on inhabitants in Fort Chipewyan, an Indigenous settlement in northern Alberta. Residents in the vicinity, situated over 200 kilometers north of Fort McMurray, have long suspected a connection between cancer cases in Fort Chipewyan and the industrial activities upstream along the Athabasca River.
Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine, the location of a significant 5.3-million-liter wastewater leak in 2023, stands roughly 140 kilometers away from Fort Chipewyan. The nearest project, Suncor Energy’s Fort Hills mine, is over 90 kilometers distant.
The research will scrutinize current and historical health records, investigate local disease trends, and monitor both individuals and the environment. Additionally, it will explore the impact of environmental alterations on the community’s customs and daily routines.
Ruby Ladouceur, president of the Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation, emphasized the intent to seek answers and clarification rather than assigning blame. The study, dubbed Project Monument Hill, will be conducted by independent researchers under the oversight of the Métis Nation, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), and the Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN), with the federal government in an observing role.
The 10-year, $12 million initiative, announced by the federal government in August 2024, received initial funding in March for the planning and governance phase. Ladouceur highlighted that the study’s methodology will integrate both western scientific approaches and Indigenous understanding of the land.
Dr. John O’Connor, a vocal advocate raising concerns about cancer in Fort Chipewyan since 2006, expressed satisfaction with the study’s initiation while suggesting a shorter timeline due to the pressing nature of the issue.
Previous reports on cancer in Fort Chipewyan have concentrated on medical histories and health trends within the community. Notably, individuals who relocated, including those seeking cancer treatments elsewhere, were not accounted for in these assessments. Studies have revealed elevated cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan compared to the wider Alberta population, with indications of hazardous concentrations of heavy metals and industrial pollutants in local flora and fauna.
Dr. James Talbot’s report from 2014, then Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, indicated higher-than-expected occurrences of certain cancers, albeit without concrete evidence linking them to industrial exposure. The report faced criticism from Fort Chipewyan leaders, who stressed the necessity for a thorough, long-term community health study rather than mere statistical reviews.
Ladouceur underlined that the primary objective of the new study is to investigate the impact of environmental changes on the health of Indigenous individuals and their community, prioritizing these factors over lifestyle influences. Limited publicly available data exists regarding the correlation between cancer cases in Fort Chipewyan and the environmental modifications caused by oilsands activities, as pointed out by Callie Davies-Flett.
Davies-Flett noted the community’s widespread concern, relayed through oral traditions and elder knowledge, regarding the substantial impact of environmental changes on every individual in Fort Chipewyan.