{"id":19634,"date":"2023-11-02T09:53:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T16:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=19634"},"modified":"2025-02-18T12:21:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T19:21:51","slug":"18-teachers-refused-work-at-toronto-school-over-possible-radiation-from-cellphone-tower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=19634","title":{"rendered":"18 teachers refused work at Toronto school over possible radiation from cellphone tower"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2014 By Joanna Lavoie, CP24 Web Content Writer
\nPublished Thursday, November 2, 2023<\/strong> 2:28PM EDT<\/p>\n

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) says that it has made arrangements for a third-party consultant to review concerns about radiation from a nearby cell phone tower and \u201cmake recommendations for next steps\u201d after several staff members at a Toronto high school refused to report for duty earlier this week.<\/p>\n

Cynthia Nguyen, the principal of William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute in North York<\/a>, advised the school community of the situation on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are writing to let you know that today, 18 staff members at William Lyon Mackenzie CI exercised their right to begin a work refusal process,\u201d she wrote in a note.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis process involves the TDSB Occupational Health and Safety discussing concerns with the impacted staff to come to a resolution. In this situation, there are health and safety concerns about possible radiation exposure from a nearby cellphone tower.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nguyen said that the school near Sheppard Avenue West and Dufferin Street \u201cdid its best to arrange for coverage of classes by administrators\u201d while these concerns were being discussed that day.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, TDSB Spokesperson Ryan Bird confirmed that the 18 staff members returned to work following assurances that the matter was being investigated further and that solutions were being sought to address it. He said that the tower in question is “situated close to the school; however, it is not located on TDSB property.”<\/p>\n

\u201c18 teachers participated in a formal work refusal process as is their right under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. After voicing their concerns several times to the employer, and after delays on the part of the employer, the teachers felt they had no choice but to engage in the process,\u201d Michelle Teixeira, the president of OSSTF Toronto, said in a statement to CP24.com.<\/p>\n

The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, meanwhile, told CP24.com that it has not received any complaints from William Lyon Mackenzie CI about nearby cell phone tower radiation.<\/p>\n

Ministry spokesperson Jennifer Rushby urged any worker in Ontario who feels unsafe to report their concerns to the ministry so that they can investigate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ministry responds to every complaint we receive,\u201d she wrote in an email.<\/p>\n

Health Canada, on its website, provides information and safety tips about 5G technology, cell phones, cell phone towers, and antennas.<\/p>\n

The federal department said that the radiofrequency EMF emitted by cell phones and cell phone towers is a type of non-ionizing radiation similar to the energy used in AM\/FM radio and TV broadcast signals, adding exposure to low levels of it poses \u201cno health risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tissue heating (the warming of your skin) and nerve stimulation, which can cause a tingling sensation in your skin, were listed as the two main adverse health effects from low-level exposure.<\/p>\n

Any further adverse health effects would only occur if there\u2019s a combination of intense, lengthy, and direct radiofrequency EMF exposure, Health Canada said, adding scientific evidence does not point to an increase risk of cancer from exposure to radiofrequency EMF \u201cat the levels permitted by Canadian exposure guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Canadian radiofrequency safety requirement provides protection against all established health effects,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealth Canada continues to monitor all domestic and international scientific evidence on radiofrequency EMF and health. If new scientific evidence were to show that exposure to radiofrequency EMF at levels below the Canadian limits is a health concern, we would take action to protect your health and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

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source : https:\/\/www.lestourscellulaires.org\/18teachers.php<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

source : https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/10065834\/toronto-school-staff-possible-radiation-concerns\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Statement from the OSSTF<\/h2>\n

\u201cThere were 18 teachers who participated in a formal work refusal process as is their right under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. After voicing their concerns several times to the employer, and after delays on the part of the employer, the teachers felt they had no choice,\u201d<\/strong> said Michelle Teixeira, president of the OSSTF Toronto teacher bargaining unit<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

source : https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/toronto\/comments\/17mcx2n\/tdsb_to_review_concerns_about_cell_phone_tower\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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Toronto Teachers Walkout Over RF Fears<\/h2>\n

A handful of teachers at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute in the North York suburb of Toronto staged a brief walkout to protest radiation exposure fears due to the presence of a nearby cell tower. The cell tower is located near the high school but is not actually on school property. According to CTV-News<\/i> Toronto<\/i>, the 18 Canadian educators returned to work after being assured that the TDSB Occupational Health and Safety would investigate their concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cEighteen teachers participated in a formal work refusal process as is their right under the Occupational Health and Safety Act,\u201d stated Michelle Teixeira, the President of OSSTF Toronto. \u201cAfter voicing their concerns several times to the employer, and after delays on the part of the employer, the teachers felt they had no choice but to engage in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ministry respond<\/strong>s to every complaint we receive,\u201d Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development spokesperson Jennifer Rushby told CTV<\/i>. She encouraged anyone with concerns to contact the ministry, noting that neither the William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute nor the Toronto District School Board had reached out for assistance prior to this incident.<\/p>\n

Health Canada, which oversees cell tower radiation exposure issues echoes the findings of the American Cancer Society and World Health Organization, all of whom assert that cell towers pose no danger to humans. \u201cHealth Canada continues to monitor all domestic and international scientific evidence on radiofrequency EMF and health,\u201d notes the organization\u2019s website. \u201cIf new scientific evidence were to show that exposure to radiofrequency EMF at levels below the Canadian limits is a health concern, we would take action to protect your health and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

source : https:\/\/insidetowers.com\/toronto-teachers-walkout-over-rf-fears\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute<\/strong><\/h2>\n

20 Tillplain Road<\/p>\n

North York, Ontario M3H 5R2<\/p>\n

https:\/\/wlmac.ca\/contact-us\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ontario Secondary School Teachers\u2019 Federation<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/www.osstf.on.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/toronto\/article\/18-toronto-teachers-refuse-to-work-amid-cell-phone-tower-radiation-concerns\/<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/ehtrust.org\/the-toronto-district-school-board-to-review-concerns-about-cell-phone-tower-radiation-after-18-teachers-in-north-york-refuse-to-work\/<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/torontosun.com\/news\/local-news\/tdsb-reviewing-cell-tower-radiation-concerns-at-north-york-high-school<\/a><\/p>\n

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Google map images indicate this cell tower had been installed prior to 2002<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2014 By Joanna Lavoie, CP24 Web Content Writer Published Thursday, November 2, 2023 2:28PM EDT The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) says that it has made arrangements for a third-party consultant to review concerns about radiation from a nearby cell phone tower and \u201cmake recommendations for next steps\u201d after several staff members at a Toronto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[540,345,346,232,103,28,960,19,961,23,371],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-3g","category-4g","category-5g","category-c4st","category-canada","category-cell-tower","category-north-york","category-ontario","category-osstf-ontario-secondary-school-teachers-federation","category-school","category-toronto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19634"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19650,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19634\/revisions\/19650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}