Dear editor,
I am responding to an article I read about the infertility rate being on the rise in Canada that was published in your paper July 18.
I have two beautiful boys who were frighteningly easy to conceive out of wedlock and for the most part unplanned. However, coming from Africa I am surprised by reports of fertility problems in this country.
There are many differences between Africa and Canada, the most striking being Canada's affluence and ability to support their children.
This came at the price of industry and thus pollution of the environment. I was reading a pamphlet released by the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks regarding the municipal pollution prevention section and water quality section of our governments and municipal office. It concerns clean water and pleasure boating.
Do you realize that in Canada there are no laws protecting our drinking water sources and the municipal government tests our water only once a year for only three toxic substances and yet they allow camping, swimming, and boating on our drinking water source, Comox Lake?
Then they put out a pamphlet that warns us about the potential harm to fish. What about people?
In South Africa, we protect our water source and do not allow even drop or septic tanks to be built near our drinking water sources because of possible contamination.
This is the question we need to ask ourselves when we look at our deteriorating health statistics, and fertility rates.
Michelle Munger,
Comox