The Toronto City Council adopted unanimously on April 1, the following statement from the local Board of Health on Public Health Consequences of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear War.
“1. That City Council direct the Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Public Information and Communication Services Divis-ion, City Clerk’s Department, to develop a pamphlet on civil defence similar to that developed by the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and distribute it to every household in the City. The pamphlet should incorporate a tear off coupon or response sheet so that citizens can express their concern to their elected representatives.”
The Local Board of Health recommends that the words “on civil defence” he deleted, and that after “City Clerk’s Department”. the words “and other interested groups” be added, and as so amended, the recommendation be adopted.
2. That the City of Toronto twin with a major Russian city and invite the Mayor and Council to visit Toronto.”
The Local Board of Health forwards this without recommendation.
3. That the Local Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health to establish links with his counterpart in the chosen Russian city.”
The Local Board of Health forWards this without recommendation.
4. That the Toronto Board of Education and the Metropolitan Toronto Separate School Board be requested to develop youth exchange pro-grams with the chosen Russian city.”
The Local Board of Health forwards this without recommendation.
5. That the Toronto Board of Education and the Metropolitan Toronto Separate School Board be requested to develop a curriculum on nuclear war and the promotion of peace at junior, intermediate and senior school levels, in cooperation with peace and disarmament groups in the City.”
The Local Board of licalth recommends that the word ‘nuclear” be added before “disarmament” and, as amended, the recommendation be adopted. The Local Board of IleaIth notes that the Toronto Board of Education has alreads begun to develop a curriculum.
6. That in support of Recommendation 5 the Toronto Board of Education and the Metropolitan Toronto Separate School Board he requested to increase staff awareness, provide in-service training for staff arid develop curriculum materials.”
The Local Board of Health recommends the adoption of the foregoing recommendation.
7. That City Council express its opposition to the production of components for nuclear weapons in Canada. and specifically in 1 mom°. and fut ther that it request the Provincial .1 ml Federal cabinets to do all ‘‘ithin their power to halt such production, and instead convert prooduction to peaceful ends.”
The Local Board of Health recommends the adoption of the foregoing recommendation.
8. That City Council urge that the Federal government spend 0.10/o of Canada’s defence budget on disarmament education and research.”
The Local Board of Health recommends that the word “nuclear” be added before “disarmament”, and, as amended, the recommendation he adopted.
9. That City Council accept its ongoing responsibility with respect to this topic and that it develop a mechanism to ensure that the issue of nuclear weapons and nuclear war continues to be dealt with by the City of Toronto.”
The Local Board of Health recommends that the foregoing recommendation be adopted.
10. That a copy of this report be sent to every Board of I lealth in Ontario; the Boards of Health of other major Canadian cities; the Mayors of all of Ontario’s municipalities; the Association of Ontario Boards of Health; the Ontario Public Health Association; the Ontario Medical Association; the Premier of Ontario; the leaders of the Ontario Liberal and New Democratic parties; all Metropolitan Toronto M.P.P.‘s; the Canadian Public Health Association; the Canadian Medical Associ-ation; the Deans of Canada’s medical schools; the House of Commons Standing Committee on External Affairs and Defence; the Prime Minister of Canada; the leader of the Opposition; the leader of the New Democratic Party; all Metropolitan Toronto M.P.‘s; the City of Toronto Board of Education; the Metropolitan Separate School Board; the Metropolitan Toronto School Board; riresident of the Toronto Student Council; theSchnmittee of Heads; the Toronto Fire Chief; the Chief of Metropolitan Toronto Police, and the Mayor, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.”
The Local Board of Health recommends that the foregoing recommendation be adopted.
11. That a copy of this report be sent to the following Toronto-based groups working to avert the threat of nuclear war and promote peace. Plrysicians for Social Responsibility; Science for Peace; Project Ploughshares; Cruise Missile Conversion Project, Hit oshima-Nagasaki Relived and Operation Dismantlement.”
The Local Board of Health recommends that the foregoing recommendation be adopted.
The Local Board of Health also recommends that the Medical Officer of Health he requested to report on the possibility of nuclear accidents in Metropolitan Toronto and on the preparedness for such occurrences.
In accordance with the stated objective of Science For Peace “to encourage educational activities directed towards peace” and “to provide scientific and technical advice”, members in Toronto will find they are in demand as experts and teachers when these recommendations are implemented. Speakers to address community groups will be needed this Fall when a referendum on disarmament appears in the November election and when a pamphlet on nuclear war is sent to every household in the City of Toronto. In Cambridge, Ontario, the pamphlet attracted an overwhelming response (now in its third printing with 50,000 copies distributed). The recommendations relating to peace and disarmament education in the public schools will have a longer term effect, but clearly will make enormous demands on our resources in due course.
Comments