April is Parkinson's Awareness Month

According to Parkinson's Canada, more than 110,000 Canadians live with Parkinsons. That number is expected to rise to more than 150,000. Some occupational hazards are known to contribute to the risk of developing Parkinson's, not only chemical exposure but physical vibration and head injury.  OHCOW has resources on this topic, specifically as it applies to the use of McIntyre Powder, a substance inhaled by North Ontario hardrock miners for decades. See our McIntyre Powder Project page for more information.

The video below is from 2021 and references a paper from the Occupational Cancer Research Centre on McIntyre Powder.

The interior of a Northern Ontario Mine in 1966.

10th Anniversary of the McIntyre Powder Project

The McIntyre Powder Project was established in April 2015 by Janice Martell, an Occupational Health Coordinator at OHCOW and the daughter of a retired Steelworker and former underground hard-rock miner, Jim Hobbs. Jim worked underground in nickel and uranium mines in northern Ontario, Canada between 1959 and 1990. In 1978 and 1979, he was required by his employer to inhale finely ground aluminum dust known as "McIntyre Powder" prior to each mining shift, as a preventative measure (prophylaxis) against silicosis. In 2001, Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Janice established the McIntyre Powder Project to provide a centralized place for miners or other workers exposed to aluminum dust to voluntarily register and document health issues.  After years of investigation and advocacy work, Martell was instrumental in WSIB Ontario's decision in January 2022 to recognize Parkinson's as an industrial disease.

On March 10 2025, Janice Martell's work was recognized with the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for her research and advocacy work helping miners, and the families of miners, receive compensation for occupational injury and death caused by employer negligence.  It is notable that she was presented with the award during the 10th anniversary year of the start of the project. Over the years Martell has become well known in the mining community and among workplace safety advocates in general. This month Northern Ontario Business  featured an article about her award and the anniversary of the Project.

Also this year, she is among recipients of the Canadian Institute of Mining Award. On May 5 she will will be at the Awards Gala that honours people who have "epitomized success and innovation" in their fields. She will receive the Mining Safety Leadership Medal.

For more information, see the professionally published research papers by Martell and other OHCOW researchers on the Mining Exposures page. These papers cover Parkinson's and other diseases shown to be the result of using McIntyre powder.