Ontario should lead not trail others in the campaign to ensure fire fighters receive compensation for their occupational diseases, says New Democrat Andrea Horwath.

The Hamilton East MPP has the support of fire fighters and families for her private members bill that she will introduce today in the Ontario Legislature. The bill, named in memory of Hamilton Fire Fighter Bob Shaw, who died after developing cancer of the esophagus from fighting the deadly toxic Plastimet Fire, is ‘presumptive legislation′.

Shaw′s son, Nathan, came to Queen′s Park with his mother, Jackie, to back Horwath′s push for changes to the way Ontario treats critically ill fire fighters.

Diseases attributed to the job of fire fighting would be recognized and compensated without question. As it is now, hundreds of fire fighters across Ontario have had their compensation claims for work-related illnesses such as cancer, leukemia and heart disease flatly denied by Ontario′s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Horwath said.

Of 463 such claims, the WSIB rejected roughly 300.

“The science is out there. Now the law needs to catch up,” said Horwath. “I made a promise to the Shaw family that I would bring forward the necessary legislation to ensure occupational diseases related to fire fighting are appropriately recognized and compensated. The McGuinty government has been slow to move on this life and death file. My bill may finally spur some long overdue action. And this can pave the way for other workers who are seeking similar provisions.”

Currently Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Nova Scotia recognize the relationship between exposure and fire fighter deaths from cancers. Ironically, their laws are based on Ontario′s scientific research from the early 1990s.

Studies show fire fighters have anywhere from two to four times the risk of cancers compared to the general population.

Joining Horwath to support the crucial need for presumptive legislation and fairness from the WSIB were Fred Leblanc, President of the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association, and Henry Watson, President of the Hamilton Professional Fire Fighters Association.