CITIZENS' INQUIRY INTO THE IMPACTS OF THE URANIUM CYCLE: PETERBOROUGH

Another insightful day at the Uranium Citizens' Inquiry, this time
held in Peterborough, Ontario, on April 15th.

This particular event, hosted by Anna Petry and Safe And Green Energy
(SAGE), was attended by many people from the Port Hope, Haliburton,
Toronto and the Bancroft area region. Their personal accounts of how
uranium has impacted their community was very moving and at times very
upsetting. Today I have included a submission from Dan Rudka, a former
nuclear energy worker in Port Hope, who bravely gave us a very
personal account of how uranium has impacted his life. It is because
of people such as Dan, that we continue to fight our collective fight.

Thank you to Anna Petry and the many wonderful people of SAGE, for
providing us with a great venue for the Inquiry as well as an
incredible potluck dinner.

The Peterborough panelists included:

Marion Dewar: Ottawa mayor from 1978 - 1985 and a Member of Parliment
from 1986 - 1988. She was a former Chair of Oxfam Canada and the
Ottawa-Carleton Police Services Board. In 2002 she was a recipient of
the Order of Canada. Marion has been politically active and volunteers
her time for many community pursuits.

Fraser McVie: Retired from senior positions in the Canadian justice
system. While there he helped develop modern and humane approaches to
corrections based on rehabilitation and treatment. He has had
extensive experience in international projects and peacekeeping,
including work as an expert with UN Interim Mission in Kosovo.

Professor Robert Paehlke: Trent University professor, Department of
Political Studies and Environmental and Resource Studies. He is a
recipient of the 1997 Trent University Faculty Research Award and has
published widely in the areas of environmentalism and administration.
He has worked with governments and environmental organizations.
Unfortunately Professor Paehlke was not able to attend the Inquiry due
to health related issues.

The following people made presentations:

Mark Winfield, Christine Artill (FUME), Robin Simpson (FUME), Mike
Nickerson (The Sustainability Project), Siren Sounding the Alarm,
Heather Ross (Environment Haliberton), Bruce Cox (Executive Director
of Greenpeace Canada) Co-Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation,
Professor Paula Sherman, Julie Caron, John Miller (Families Against
Radiation Exposure), Rachel Edge (Trent U Mural Group), Doug Smith
(Green Party of Ontario), Kathryn Langley (SAGE), Dan Rudka, Linda
Harvey (CCAMU), Raging Grannies, Kawartha World Issues Centre, Marion
Burton (Occupational & Environmental Health Coalition), Corinne Mintz,
Carol Winter (SAGE, Ploughshares), Steve Sharpe (NDP), Angel Hamilton,
Marianne Pedretti, Michael Ketemer, Andrew Johncox, Faye More, Tom
Lawson (for himself and on behalf of his daughter Molly), Pat Lawson,
Peter Tabuns (MPP, NDP Environmental Critic), John Etches (SAGE),
Susan Howlett (Kawartha Community Midwives), Roy Brady (SAGE), Richard
Tyssen, Greg Roy, James Wilkes, Frank Morrison and Erin Parker.

The Inquiry has now seen over 120 presentations with another 40 to go
at the Ottawa session.

To see Garth Gullekson's photos of this event go to,
http://www.darlingtonmediaworks.com/garth/2008/CitizensInquiryPeterborough/index.htm