Secrecy is toxic—Building community right-to-know in Canada’s largest municipality

Abstract

The regulation of toxic chemicals in Canada has undergone many twists and turns in the last 40 years. This paper describes the emergence of a new alliance, one which brought together people from a broad range of backgrounds to formulate common strategy to address the continuing use and dissemination of toxic chemicals, especially carcinogens. In just over a decade, Canada’s largest municipality, Toronto, adopted a bylaw which introduced a comprehensive scheme for community right-to-know about toxic chemicals being used, released, and disposed—the first in the country. The bylaw represents the success of a network that integrated experience and expertise from community activism, environment, labour, public health, politics and cancer prevention.