Every year, Aamjiwnaang & Sarnia Against Pipelines (ASAP) organizes Toxic Tours to raise awareness about environmental racism in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community. Aamjiwnaang is surrounded by 63 refineries and petrochemicals plants owned and managed by companies including Esso Imperial Oil, Lanxess, and Shell, among many others. These plants are responsible for 40% of Canada’s total annual production of oil, gas, and petrochemical products including plastics, cleaning products, and industrial lubricants, all within a 50 kilometer radius of the Aamjiwnaang reserve. Members of the Aamjiwnaang community experience extreme and negative health impacts as a result of living so close to this high concentration of industry.

This year, a collective of concerned Montrealers is organizing a bus to bring people from Montreal to Aamjiwnaang to attend the Toxic Tour. Taking the bus will allow students to experience first-hand the result of complex interactions between the environment, political and economic policy decisions, and real-world communities in the contemporary Canadian colonial context.

Years funded: 2015-16

Amount allocated: $150.00 per student participating in the Toxic Tour

Project leader: Amal Kenshil

E-mail: a.kenshil@yahoo.com