Ottawa Are You listening ? Do You Care?

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Dear Members of Parliament and the Canadian Senate.

Minister of Veterans Affairs. MP Greg Thompson

We all know now that Canada played a major part in the production of Agent Orange chemicals and that these chemicals were used here in Canada. The Uniroyal plant in Elmira, Ontario was one of seven suppliers producing Agent Orange for the U. S. military's use in Vietnam, and in the province of New Brunswick, at Base Gagetown, as reported by governments own documentation.

Through their deceit, cover-up and negligence, the Canadian government has the blood of thousands of those who trained at Base Gagetown on their hands, not to mention the thousands citizens in Vietnam. To carry this even further, thanks to government documentation , we know that farmers in and around the area of the base were compensated because of drift.

Under the Geneva Convention, countries cannot be party to chemical warfare and must declare the use or supply of defoliants during conflicts. Therefore one can only take the position that the Canadian government knowingly breached the Geneva Convention , by permitting the use of Agent Orange back in 1966 and 1967. I use these dates, only because the Canadian government uses them for their own bases of paying out claims.

I have spoken with ex-military who were never informed about the use of Agent Orange while serving on the base in the years of 1966 and 1967, including myself. Once again, the Canadian government, breached the Geneva Convention by not informing myself or other that they were using AO on the training areas in New Brunswick.

It's bloody unacceptable what the Canadian government has done to us and the other countries whose troops trained at Base Gagetown.

A study released in August last year by scientists from the United States, Germany and Vietnam found that Agent Orange was still contaminating people through their food.

Dioxin, the defoliant's deadly component, can cause an increased risk of cancers, immunodeficiency’s, reproductive and developmental changes, nervous system problems and other health problems, according to medical experts.


Ken Dobbie the President of Agent Orange of Canada Association has even further proof that this chemical AO was used well before.

Ken Dobbie- “ Some time has gone by since the release of the information concerning the chemical defoliation of CFB Gagetown, I want to add a few facts.

2,4-D + 2,4,5-T (which the Americans called Agent Orange & Agent Purple) was negligently sprayed on the training area of CFB Gagetown from 1956 to 1964.

In 1964, there was a spraying accident involving a temperature inversion, which caused the Dioxin-laced spray to drift across the Saint John River to the market gardens of communities from Burton to as far down-river as Jemseg, primarily in the Sheffield to Maugerville area. However, the entire distance covered by the spray was 29 kilometres.”

The Canadian government are neglecting their responsibility to its own citizens, while professing they are interested in up holding the rights of Afghanistan citizens. The Minister of Veteran Affairs is playing games with the lives of those Canadian citizens and troops who have passed through Base Gagetown, it is time Thompson, got in step.

Ottawa is falling short of protecting its own, while they do so, many are left to go without proper medical treatment. Many have been denied rightfully compensation, remember it was the Canadian government who breached the Geneva Convention and it was they who failed to properly inform the soldiers that Agent Orange was being used.

Those private citizens employed at Base Gagetown, whose health was affected , are told to file with their provincial Workers Compensation Boards. Ottawa cannot pass the buck on this one, Ottawa must go to bat for those citizens, Ottawa was their employer and Ottawa is a major stakeholder in all provincial WCB Boards. This is a medical problem, created by Ottawa and they must address it with their provincial insurers.

According to the WCB Act in all provinces, Ottawa receives the protection of their Workers Compensation Legislation, therefore they can intervene, on behalf of those employed during 1966 and 1967. We must also take into consideration as well, that the province of New Brunswick, also breached the Geneva Convention, by giving permission for the use of Agent Orange. (Honourable is, as Honourable does )

Regards

Wayne Coady

CC: Agent Orange Association of Canada
Canadian Injured Workers Society

21 Ashgrove Avenue Cole Harbour Nova Scotia Canada B2V 1Z2 (902)434-9306
wcoady@accesswave.ca