On August 10th, 2023, an industrial building in Etobicoke caught fire; months of disaster would follow.
Brenntag Canada (a chemical wholesaler) caught fire, spreading chemical debris from within the building to the nearby Mimico Creek and Humber Creek. While no humans were harmed, three cats, a dog and a beaver were confirmed to have died in the accident.
The aftermath, however, killed thousands.
Nearly six weeks after the incident, fed-up Etobicoke residents shared what they felt was a “lack of transparency” from the province, with the Toronto Star.
This tragedy has brought some important questions to light; while also frustrating the locals. Environmental expert Roxana Sühring shared her concerns with CBC’s David Common.
“The question is always what happens long term, are there residues keeping in the sentiment of the creek and what needs to be done about that.” “What does this mean for our drinking water? What does this mean for neighbouring beaches?” said Sühring.
“By the time they had made a noticeable difference in cleaning it up, everyone had grown tired of asking. More specifically, asking and being ignored, disregarded.” said Etobicoke local, Peter Bevilacqua.
An Etobicoke resident, Craig Strathy, witnessed the event firsthand; along with the aftermath. His interview with CityNews Toronto helps paint a picture of what happened that day. Strathy had seen at least 10 ducks that he described as “covered in sludge.”
“They looked really bad. In bad shape. That’s where my heart is. I feel for them.” said Strathy.
Currently, both Mimico Creek and Humber Creek have reportedly been fully cleaned from this accident. This was by no means a seamless process. It was reported that thousands of fish had died due to the spill. We spoke to Etobicoke local Peter Bevilacqua about this incident, along with the Ontario Ministry of Environment’s handling of it.
“I didn’t see or hear the initial explosion, I’m not quite close enough, but you couldn’t avoid the aftermath of it. The entire area stunk, it was strong.” said Bevilacqua.
When asked about the OME’s (Ontario Ministry of Environment) handling of the situation, Bevilacqua said the following.
“That was a slow burn, no pun intended. Cleanups appeared to happen in stints, and you’d be told after each one that ‘everything is alright now!’ even though a simple walk to the park would tell you otherwise.”
Bevilacqua’s experience lines up with that of another Etobicoke local; who had spoken to CBC News nearly a month after the incident took place. Lisa Hall. On September 9th, 2023, Hall told CBC there was still a “rainbow of oil all along the water.”
Well, what was the reach of this disaster? How many animals were affected? Just three weeks after the incident, the Toronto Wildlife Centre reported that they had already admitted 106 birds for cleanup. At least 20 of those birds reportedly died at the cleanup centre. It was confirmed that many of these animals suffered lethargy and respiratory constraints.
Etobicoke locals grew frustrated with what they felt was a stagnance in the cleanup process.
“Every time I’ve been down here, there’s been nobody around doing any work.” said Hall during the cleanup process; which lasted over three months, concluding in November.
“There’s an extraordinarily lackadaisical attitude towards this cleanup.” said Etobicoke local Anna-Louise Richardson to CBC News.
“By the time they had made a noticeable difference in cleaning it up, everyone had grown tired of asking. More specifically, asking and being ignored, disregarded.” said Bevilacqua.
The lives of the animals lost in this tragedy cannot be restored. However, adjustments can be made to ensure that we’re better suited to handle a situation like this. Firstly, communication is necessary. There should have been a way for the locals to be heard quicker than they were. Photos, videos and matching stories from various sources should have been enough to incentivize authorities to funnel more resources into the cleanup; but it wasn’t.
Mimico Creek and Humber Creek must remain a safe, inhabitable environment for wildlife. “Creeks like this are absolutely crucial for a lot of things, for the local ecosystems.” said Roxana Sühring
