Thunder Bay, Ont. firefighters push for stronger health protections for younger workers

Thunder Bay firefighters are calling for stronger protections under Ontario legislation, arguing the law doesn’t go far enough to protect workers from cancer linked to firefighting.

Ontario’s presumptive legislation is automatic work-related coverage. The legislation guarantees that if a firefighter or fire investigator develops one of the cancers or diseases listed in provincial law and meets the required years of service, the illness is automatically presumed to be work-related for WSIB coverage.

The list of covered conditions has expanded in recent years. The province has added pancreatic and thyroid cancer, reduced service-time requirements for kidney cancer and removed age limits for colorectal cancer. However, the law still requires between 10 and 25 years of service for many cancers and does not mandate early or routine cancer screening.

Kyle Solomon, a Thunder Bay firefighter, said some of the city’s crew recently travelled to Queen’s Park to lobby for additional protection.

LISTEN | Kyle Solomon shares why they’re pushing for a change in cancer-coverage laws:

“Firefighters are two to four times more likely to get cancer than anybody else in the general population,” he said. “The province has put a lot into play already, but there are a couple of situations where firefighters aren’t covered.”

Solomon explained that firefighters exposed to catastrophic events, such as industrial fires or 9/11-style disasters, can receive a lifetime of carcinogens in one day. Under current legislation, newer firefighters would not qualify for presumptive coverage in these cases.

“We are going to fight for that firefighter who’s new and couldn’t get covered. We’re looking for the law to kind of encompass that catastrophic acute event,” he explained.

Solomon also described the emotional toll of losing colleagues to work-related cancers.

“This year, I just went down to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial, where we put these names on the wall of people who’ve passed from line-of-duty deaths. And now those cancers are considered line of duty deaths,” he said. “My colleague, my brother, lost his father to a line-of-duty death. And although it’s moving, I would like it if we never had to put another name on that wall for them and prevent this from happening altogether.”

Solomon said firefighters in northern Ontario face unique challenges due to geography and industry, including wildfire risks.

“You have forest firefighters who are fighting fires at the time. They’re going to get those 10 carcinogens in the combustion, and it’s one of those catastrophic acute events where they’ll get a lifetime in that short period of time,” he explained. “As of right now, the protections aren’t there, so we’re trying to work with the government to have protections for those people who are willing to put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of the community.”

Lise Vaugeois, the Thunder Bay-Superior North NDP MPP who met with the firefighters, said the government could act immediately to improve legislation.

“We can bring forward motions on both of these issues. But honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t been dealt with before. This question of moving the screening age early, this is the third year that they’ve brought this forward,” she said. “The government always talks about how much they love firefighters. So I don’t understand why they haven’t actually done this already.”

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, says they continue to work hand-in-hand with the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association and other partners to strengthen protections for firefighters.

“Through our series of Working for Workers legislation, we have delivered the most significant improvements to presumptive WSIB coverage in Ontario’s history. We have expanded the list of recognized cancers, lowered years-of-service requirements, removed outdated age limits and ensured wildland firefighters and investigators receive the same protections as municipal firefighters and investigators,” the ministry wrote in an email to CBC News.

Firefighters say making presumptive legislation even more accessible could save lives and prevent costly late-stage cancer treatments.

“It's one of those things where the pieces are coming together. It just takes time, especially with the bureaucracy of legislation. We’ve made huge leaps and bounds, but these pieces would just tie it all together to ensure that firefighters are protected,” Solomon said.