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ONTARIO WATER SCARE: E.coli Kills Five

© Mary M. Alward

A sign outside a Walkerton, Ontario hardware store reads: Pray for the children of Walkerton.

Even a doctor in nearby Hanover couldn't save her daughter from the vicious E.coli infection that she and so many others have been hit with. The cause - E.coli has invaded the area's water supply.

Eighty-three-year-old great-grandmother, Edith Pearson's funeral took place on Saturday May 27th . Cause of death: E.coli poisoning.

Lynda Keip keeps vigil over her nine-year-old son, Stephen, who is ill from the E.coli bacteria that has contaminated the water supply in the Walkerton area. Panic and fear are rampant here. Parents are wondering how they can protect their children from the dreaded E.coli bacteria when the Hanover doctor couldn't save her child.

Two-year-old Kaitlyn suffered severe stomach cramps, which doctors originally diagnosed as the flu. Other symptoms were uncharacteristic. She was lethargic and had bloody stool. Kaitlyn now visits the local hospital every other day for blood tests. She has been diagnosed as having E.coli poisoning. Her fifteen-year-old babysitter wasn't so lucky. She is in a London, Ontario hospital in serious condition. She is now living on dialysis.

Another two-year-old also visits the hospital for blood tests every other day. Her parents stay awake each night keeping watch over their child. The week of May 21st, their daughter suffered from diarrhea. They forced her to drink plenty of tap water, which is normal procedure when a child has severe diarrhea. Water prevents dehydration. Little did they know at the time that the water was poisoning their precious child.

The list goes on and on. The people of Walkerton feel that both the municipal and Ontario governments have failed them. Little wonder. The terrible E.coli invasion could have been prevented. But somebody failed to heed the warnings from a London laboratory that confirmed the danger to the residents of Walkerton.

On Saturday, May 27th, Ontario's environment ministry admitted that it had been warned weeks or months in advance that an E.coli epidemic could break out in Walkerton. So far, this epidemic that could have been avoided has claimed five lives.

When asked if the Owen Sound office of the Ministry of the Environment received faxes that warned of water contamination, ministry spokesman John Steele said, "Yes, we did." When questioned further, Steele declined to comment until an investigation that began on May 27th was complete.

E.coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of humans and animals. Many strains are harmless but some, such as the case in Walkerton, are potentially fatal. When repeated reports of E.coli are found, the Ministry of the Environment is required to contact health officials and other parties who monitor water supplies, which in Walkerton would have been the local Public Utilities Commission (PUC). When asked if this had been done, Steele again refused comment until the current investigation is complete.

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