The Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center SNCO reports that the English-Wabigoon River system remains heavily contaminated with mercury to this day.
“Ontario’s English-Wabigoon River system is considered one of the most severely contaminated with mercury in Canadian history. In the 1960s, the Dryden Chemical Company dumped mercury-containing wastewater into the river—about 10 tons of mercury, which settled on the riverbed, spread to lakes, and transformed into dangerous methylmercury.
This substance accumulated in fish, causing severe poisoning in Ojibwe communities, and the region’s fishing industry almost came to a standstill.
Why does the pollution persist?
- Mercury does not break down in sediments and is constantly being released.
- Microorganisms still produce methylmercury today.
- Mercury levels in the lakes remain several times higher than usual.
- The poison is accumulating in the food chain.
Current situation
Research from 2020–2025 shows that the river remains a primary source of methylmercury, and the complete cleanup process is estimated to take decades. The Canadian government has launched a long-term cleanup program, the Wabigoon–English Rivers Remediation Trust.
