Canada

Canada’s official public radiation monitoring network is at least as pathetic as the United States’ with a similarly strangely denialist government and parroting mainstream media…  Oh Canada!    

They’ve even admitted to being “confused”…  Public Safety Canada, has the authority to manage the Federal Emergency Response Plan, while Health Canada is responsible for the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan.  Story goes that, “The situation was further complicated when Health Canada briefly and mistakenly announced on its website that Canada’s nuclear emergency plan had been activated.”  Mistakenly, right….  Read more about how they admit (in twists of sorts) that they suck, in this Vancouver Sun Apr 26, 2012 article: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Canadian%2Baction%2BFukushima%2Bconfused%2Bdirectionless%2Breport/6521698/story.html

! CAUTION !  simply comparing dose rates (in rad, rem, sievert or gray), as the mainstream media does, is deceptive:  > Mere dose rates are NOT a dependable way to gauge dangers from fallout ! <  See my Radiation Exposure Effects page for clues why that may be so. (And my Disclaimer page if I’m pissing you off with my view on this topic. -hehe)

A critique of Health Canada was mentioned in my January 23, 2012 blogpost: Fukushima Fallout in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) was among highest in North America, too..  When it matters, governments cannot be relied upon, is my impression. Canada is sadly no exception.

  • Health Canada‘s Fixed Point Surveillance Network “monitors the public doses of radiation from radioactive materials in the air in Canada.  The network is organized into systems which monitor radiation around the six major Canadian nuclear facilities, ports where nuclear vessels may berth and in some other areas across Canada.”    –> CLICK on the map (below) to access radiation measurement data.  Roll your mouse over the dots to see the location of each of the monitoring stations in the network. (The larger dots represent multiple stations in close geographic proximity). Clicking a station name will display “the most recent dose data” (often months old…) for that station.

  • The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada may have some useful information on the effects of radiation exposure, current news updates, and public safety advice. [a-hum]   Check their LINKS list for more.
  • Additional Resources may be available at ‘Global‘.