ID: 1915
Presenting Author: Isabelle Vezina
Session: 550 - (Re)building trust and transparency to navigate complex energy transitions
Status: pending
This talk explores how perceived contamination of traditional food may affect health and shares best practices (literature review) in the context of accelerated Canadian impact assessments.
It is well known that the perception of a health risk can emerge and persist within communities affected by an industrial project, even when predictions and technical data suggest otherwise. Despite reassuring data indicating that traditional foods (TF) near the project sites were safe to eat, concerns about contamination may persist, leading many to avoid consuming these foods. Continued consumption of TF is important not only for their nutritional benefits and role in the prevention of chronic diseases, but also for the preservation of Cree social and cultural values and food securities of the communities.
This presentation explores the significant physical, psychological and cultural, impacts of perceived contamination, demonstrating how these impacts unfold by examining the way they manifest through the health effect pathway. These insights will be explored through the lens and experience of Health Canada’s (HC) Impact Assessment (IA) practitioners involved in the evaluation of three lithium mine projects in Eeyou Istchee, the territory of the Cree Nation in Quebec, Canada.
Key findings from HC’s 2023 literature review on risk perceptions of TF contamination will be shared, highlighting best practices in IA for mitigating and avoiding associated negative health outcomes. It will also examine how current IA frameworks often limit the application of these practices due to time constraints and procedural inflexibility. The session will conclude with a discussion inviting the audience to share their experiences with elevated risk perceptions.
Isabelle Vézina has 17 years of experience in environmental health at Health Canada’s Quebec office, including 7 years integrating health considerations into federal impact assessments.
Coauthor 1: Claudia Schiocchet