Manitoba Broadens Occupational Disease Coverage

(from left) Winnipeg, MB Local 867 President Alex Forrest, fire fighter widow Betty Martin and Winnipeg Local 867 retired member Ron Morden (suffers from esophageal cancer) at the legislation reading

April 17, 2009 – Through a collaborative effort between Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan and the Manitoba Professional Fire Fighters Association, new provincial legislation that will expand fire fighter occupational disease coverage was introduced April 15.

The new cancer legislation will add testicular and esophageal cancer for fire fighters. Brain, bladder, kidney, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, ureter, colon, rectal and lung cancers are covered under previously passed legislation.

Winnipeg, MB Local 867 President Alex Forrest was instrumental in the drafting of the new legislation and was present for the reading. “This reading was an historic moment,” says Forrest.

Province fire fighters will be covered under the Workers Compensation Act.

In 2002, Manitoba became the first Canadian province to enact occupational disease legislation. Since then, seven other provinces have enacted their own coverage using Manitoba as a model.