Mould in houses affecting health of Sask. reserve residents
25.09.2008 23:05
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
A community-wide infestation of black mould is causing health problems for residents of a First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan. Officials on the Pasqua First Nation, in the Qu'Appelle Valley about 60 kilometres northwest of Regina, say four out of five homes on the reserve have mould problems. Andrina Gordans, health manager for the band, told CBC News that mould can aggravate respiratory systems and cause skin problems. "We have 17 babies now. Out of them, nine have allergies or breathing problems," Gordans said. "That's a lot and we never had that problem before. "With our elderly people, they just have a very hard time breathing and they are taken to the hospital and they come back with oxygen. If they have anything else — like diabetes or dialysis — it makes it that much more difficult for them." Gordans said the band office has fielded a lot of calls about mould in houses. More than 800 people live on the reserve, many in crowded conditions, said Gordans. The population on the reserve has almost tripled in the last 16 years and there are not enough homes. Mould growth is rampant in the home of Ina Kahnapace. It was found underneath baseboards in her basement. Dark patches of mould have also been found in her bathroom and around a washing machine. Her neighbour, Lyndsay Cyr, had the same problem in his house. "It was making me sick," Cyr told CBC News. "The scars are still here. See all these little scabs? My whole foot was like that. "I was in the doctor's office twice. On the second time he said, 'It's the house.'" Cyr undertook to remove the mould, doing most of the work on his own. $1 million-plus to clean upIndian and Northern Affairs officials declined to be interviewed about the issue, but told CBC News the department has no funds available for any cleanup work. "I know it's going to be big-time dollars, and then getting proper well-qualified people to go in there and clean it up," Gordans said. "I know we are talking more than a million, it's going to take lots to clean up these houses and do it properly. It's just going to spread, and it's going to get worse and in a couple of years some of these houses won't even be livable." Gordans said home inspectors have visited the reserve and concluded that, in some cases, initial inspections failed to catch the potential for problems. Many homes were not sealed properly during the construction process, she said. Cyr said black mould has been a problem on the reserve for 10 to 15 years. He believes it is now getting worse and said it has even started to come back in his house. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksCBC Reporter Brett Bradshaw reports on mould problems on a Saskatchewan First NationHealth HeadlinesMothers of disabled children juggle work schedules: StatsCanThe parents of three out of five children with disabilities said their added responsibilities affected employment, and it was mothers who overwhelmingly said they adjusted their hours, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.Eating fish in infancy may help reduce eczema risk: studyFeeding infants fish before they reach nine months of age may help reduce their risk of developing eczema, a Swedish study suggests.Canada recalls White Rabbit candies over melamine concernsWhite Rabbit candies, popular Chinese confections that may be tainted with melamine, are being recalled, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday.Food recalls grow in Chinese tainted milk crisisFood recalls expanded in Europe and Asia on Thursday as an industrial chemical linked to the deaths of four babies turned up in candies and other Chinese-made exports that were quickly pulled from store shelves. Surgery for clogged carotid a waste if no stroke signs: studyThe vast majority of patients with narrowed carotid arteries but no warning signs of a stroke can avoid plaque-removing surgery and be treated instead with lifestyle changes and intensive drug therapy, researchers suggest. Health FeaturesHEALTHMultiple sclerosisHigh rates in Canada and around the worldIN DEPTHSafetyText messaging becomes a road hazardHEALTHPain pillsPros and cons of three popular pain relieversHEALTHExerciseFitness boot camps: Cross-training pulls in recruitsMEDICAL RESEARCHBrain banksCrucial for research, clamouring for donorsHEALTH & FITNESSPeter HadzipetrosZorba the obesePeople who read this also read …
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