The month of May is Environmental Sensitivities Month and we have done our best to educate and create awareness about this medical condition which touches so many people in Quebec and the rest of Canada and around the world. We have taken this opportunity to make strong ties with similar groups across Canada and the rest of the world and to get support from other groups. We will continue to work towards keeping this momentum going and bringing the needs of people suffering from this medical condition to the government and decision makers’ attention. Many members have called and emailed that they would have liked to have been here today, but due to their health condition, it is not possible to leave their homes – since exposures to chemicals makes them unable to function and leaves them feeling sick. This is why this medical condition is not known. The sufferer becomes invisible unable to be present to talk about what they are going through and unable to fight for their most basic human right – appropriate medical attention. Just yesterday a member called and repeatedly said < this is not right>. And, I am sure that we all agree with her. This is not right. And so, I request that you get involved in moving this message out. Please visit our website, take the information and send it out to your representatives at all levels of government. I know that some of you cannot use computers due to electro sensitivity. We would be pleased to send you information by post. Also remember that we have a petition housed at the National Assembly of Quebec. You can also have a hard copy, if you wish. All petitions have to be in at the ASEQ office by the end of June. Why do we have a petition? We need one Day to call our own. Environmental Sensitivities Day, May 12th. And we need this to be recognized by the National Assembly of Quebec. There is a day for many things like shoes, for instance. And there is a day for illnesses where there are lesser numbers of people suffering than those suffering from environmental sensitivities, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV AIDS, Epilepsy, etc. … Yet, the population of people suffering from environmental sensitivities is underserviced by both medical and social services and community groups such as ours, who provide help, are not funded.  

Does anyone know what this symbol stands for. The hand and the bird Does anyone know what this symbol stands for? The hand and the bird. It is not just any bird. It is the canary. In olden days it was used by miners to determine if a mine was safe to enter. So they lowered the bird in a cage into the mine – if it came up dead, it was not safe to enter the mine. If it came up alive, they went down to work. Some even carried it on their shoulders or kept the birds in a cage next to them while working. If the bird dropped dead, they ran out of the mine. In these modern days, we still have canaries. People who are getting ill from exposures to chemicals and other triggers in their environment. They are the modern day Canaries – will we heed their warning? The black hand stands for STOP the pollution and the canary is for a warning that change must come and also for hope that we can heal when we change. I urge you to pick up a button and wear it as a reminder of the suffering caused to people suffering from environmental sensitivities and tell this story to others so that the story is passed on from one to another until we can all listen to the canary and demand only healthy living as a way of life.

MERCI à nos conférenciers Dr Barry Breger – Chair Dr John Molot Dr. Amir Khadir I take this opportunity to thank our Chair, Dr Barry Breger Thank you Dr John Molot, you have helped us understand this medical condition much better and we also realize why Quebec needs to catch up with certain other Provinces in Canada. Thank you Dr Amir Khadir and we are looking forward to hearing you at the end of the march.

MERCI à notre partenaire Thank you to our partner:the Concordia Quebec Public Interest Group

Appuyé par Fondation David Suzuki La Maison du 21e siècle , RIOCM Association pour la santé environnementale de l’Alberta Association pour la santé environnementale de Colombie Britannique Association pour la santé environnementale de Nouvelle Écosse Association pour la santé environnementale de l’Ontario Sensibilités chimiques Manitoba, Caucus de la Santé - Réseau canadien de l’environnement Association Canadienne des Médecins pour l’Environnement Action cancer du sein de Montréal La coalition verte Thank you to all the groups who supported us: RIOCM thank you to Sébastien Rivard for all his support, The Green Coalition, the Environmental Health Associations across Canada, from coast to coast – Alberta, British Colombia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba, David Suzuki Foundation, La Maison du 21e siècle, Breast Cancer Action Montreal, Health Caucus – Canadian Environmental Network. Many thanks to all for your support!

Special thanks to For simultaneous interpretation Caro Leman Joan Mc Cordick For translation equipment Les systèmes & services d'interprétation LMB Inc. LMB Interpretation Systems & Services Inc. ARTWORK nerdstudio.com GRAPHIC ARTIST Jean François Desourdy Translator: Claude Renaud Erica Pomerance & Andrew Webster for filming the conference Very special thanks to Mme Caro Leman and Mme Joan Mc Cordick for your generous offer of simultaneous translation and for translation equipment, thank you to LMB Interpretation. For amazing artwork and infinite patience, thank you Jean François Desourdy, Nerdstudio.com! Thank you to our translator Claude Renaud. Thank you to Andrew Webster and Erica Pomerance for filming the conference

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS! MERCI ! Thank you to everyone who made this conference and all our events in May happen. Merci Beaucoup! Thank you also to everyone who has come to this conference especially from outside Montreal. We have people here from Toronto, Ottawa and the US. Thank you for your support!

Mai est le mois des hypersensibilités environnementales We do not know yet if the weather will permit us to march to 2001 avenue McGill college. If we cannot, please stay to take pictures with our banners and picket signs. If we can march, please gather in front of this building and let’s march in solidarity for health and social services for people suffering from environmental sensitivities. A list of our Needs has been given to prime minister Jean Charest and can be found on our website. Thank you for your participation in this conference Mai est le mois des hypersensibilités environnementales www.aseq-ehaq.ca