It’s the summer of 2017 at…

It’s the summer of 2017 at Mike Zuke Park in Bayview. A loud bang echoes through the neighbourhood, and a dark brown cloud emerges from Algoma Steel. Multiple clouds appear and stay suspended for the next half hour. I am seventeen years old and it’s the first time I’ve been shocked into noticing Algoma Steel’s pollution with my own eyes. I remember thinking, “What goes up, must come down. Will I breathe that?”. The answer is yes, everyone is Sault Ste. Marie does.

Since I was young, I’ve understood that our local steel making industry was important. Important to my family, important to our community, important to our country. Generations of our community have worked at Algoma Steel and Tenaris. My great-grandfather even helped lay the rail tracks that were once used to bring raw ore to the blast furnace. As a result, I am deeply aware of how vital Algoma Steel is to our economic livelihoods – do not misunderstand me. But does that mean Algoma Steel gets a free pass to hurt the people it depends on? The land and water it stands on? I don’t think so.

I think it’s safe to say that cancer has touched the lives of most people in Sault Ste. Marie. If it wasn’t you or a family member, it’s been a friend or someone you know. My mother passed away from cancer in 2019 – I had just turned 19 years old. While it’s unfair to blame the industry for upending my life in this way, I’m sure it wasn’t helpful. Algoma Steel unapologetically emits cancer causing substances like benzene and benzo(a)pyrene far above the provincial standards. The Electric Arc Furnace will not change this, but will theoretically reduce it. Knowing this, I was originally optimistic to hear that the Electric ARC Furnace would come to Algoma Steel – until I saw the company’s continued applications for site specific standards that will allow them to grossly exceed their emissions. People say, “It used to be a lot worse. Algoma Steel is trying their best to make progress!”. I disagree. Seeking permission to bend the rules doesn’t scream ‘trying their best’. Why should progress stop here? Why should we just roll over and say, ‘good enough!’? I can’t, and I won’t, on the behalf of those who have fought cancer in our community.
I’m not new to hearing dismissive comments like this from people in our community who feel grateful for the livelihood Algoma Steel has brought them – “If you don’t like it, move” is a common response. I have moved, actually; I am currently gone, pursuing a master’s degree in Manitoba. However, moving away has shown me how special Sault Ste. Marie is: The land is beautiful – blue water, rocky forests, fall colours, and abundant wildlife, my friends and family are here, and we have the best pizza. The reasons for not leaving are endless. And why should I have to? Sault Ste. Marie is my home, and I intend to come back once I’ve graduated to spend my life here. But the future nags at me: When I come home to stay, will I inevitably get sick too?

I am in support of Algoma Steel’s transition to the Electric ARC Furnace, as I believe that it is a step in the right direction to address some of the steelmaking process’s environmental concerns (although I am not blind to its negative consequences). However, this transition should not be used as an excuse to continue pumping out cancerous chemicals above the provincial standards. There should be no circumstances under which we are prioritizing industry over the health of our community. This letter is not about “going against” our major employer. This letter is not about threatening people’s jobs. This letter is not about destroying our local economy. This letter is not about halting steel production. This letter is about caring for the health of our community, our neighbours, and our environment NOW and for the FUTURE. Algoma Steel is not King. The people are speaking; Hear Us.