Questions on the statistics on higher disease rates
To The Expositor:
I am writing in response to the letter of Sue Nelson (agreement with this newspapers stance on Health Units) page 4, September 20, 2023.
The letter states, “the Northern Ontario population has higher rates of cancer, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, respiratory disease and diabetes, etc.”
The term higher rates require a comparison with what? The rest of Ontario or the rest of Canada or the rest of middle America?
When I was living in the Sarnia area in the 1970s and 80s, I had read statistics that because of the air pollution in the Sarnia (Chemical Valley) area there was a higher rate of all kinds of diseases within a 20-mile radius of Sarnia then in the rest of Canada. As there is a lot less air pollution in Northern Ontario the rates of these diseases should be a lot lower.
Also, there is less stress because of less traffic etc. I believe that because the younger generation because of jobs have moved out of Northern Ontario. There is a large percentage of older generation. If a comparison is made with people in the same age group in the rest of Ontario or Canada, I believe that the result will be that there are actually fewer medical problems in Northern Ontario.
Sincerely,
Hank Reckman
M’Chigeeng
