Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Indigenous and remote communities that rely on fish for sustenance shouldn’t worry about mercury levels in their food as the benefits of eating the meal outweigh the risks, according to a new study.
The study, published recently in the journal Environmental Research, examined 443 blood samples and 276 hair samples from residents across nine communities in the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories and found that mercury exposure “may be low even when it is sometimes present in elevated levels,” according to a news release.
The study was part of a broader “biomonitoring project” to address concerns within these communities about potentially harmful containments within their traditional food sources, such as fish.
“Previously, elevated levels of mercury were found in some fish species in some lakes and therefore, communities wanted to know if these sometimes-elevated levels in fish also meant they were elevated in people,” Sara Packull-McCormick, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences, said in a news release.
“The good news is that generally, the exposure in communities we studied was low. It means the benefits of consuming these foods tend to outweigh the risks, which is important for these communities since fish consumption has nutritional, cultural and economic benefits.”
According to Health Canada, mercury exposure is associated with “impaired functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems” and can lead to a decreased IQ and delays in walking and talking among young children. Adults, meanwhile, can experience personality changes, changes in vision and memory loss.
In 2017, the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) reported that mercury levels among Canadians were “well below” Canadian guidance, but the survey did not include participants from any of the Canadian territories or Indigenous people living on reserves.
Brian Laird, a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences and principal investigator of the study, said this latest research should help those communities not included in the CHMS.
“This study is important because it provides these communities with the information they need to help guide their decision-making,” he said.
“Mercury can pose serious risks to people’s health, but these communities now have a baseline to see what changes occur in the future, especially taking into account those that may be caused by climate change.”
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.