Documents attached to bibliography entries

Zimmerman criticizes the ideas and approaches of the cult of environmental medicine, but emphasizes that the sickness of patients is real. It would have been nice if he had put in a bit more history, instead of portraying so-called "clinical ecologists" as the only people who have dealt with patients with sensitivities over the centuries.

Zimmerman et al ignore the compendium of disorders that cause sensitivities, and focus on the theories of one group of physicians. They ignore preventable harm being caused to patients. They ignore an existing, publicly insured method of diagnosis. They encourage physicians to subject patients who relate their experience of repeatable, controllable circumstances to a reverse onus, contrary to the ethical guidelines of the Canadian Medical Association, to human rights laws, professionalism and human dignity. Zimmerman's focus on questionable ideas from one group of physicians helped Ministry officials disguise ongoing abuses that were and are causing unnecessary injuries and deaths in health care.

Allergist Barry Zimmerman decries the use of unproven methods, then recommends they be used on an experimental basis. He denigrates any association with candida. He accuses doctors of environmental medicine of practicing pseudoscience. He calls the problems "Total Allergy Syndrome" which was a term invented by doctors of environmental medicine.

The previous Chief Coroner, Ross Bennett, wrote to three provincial DM's concerning attitudes towards persons with sensitivities. Bennett sent copies of his letters to help us apply pressure to Ontario government. When there was no coherent response from the Ontario Ministry of Health, Chief Coroner James Young wrote to the Deputy Minister of Health.

Ross Bennett, former Chief Coroner, had written to the DM's of Health, Social Services and Housing, concerning the suicide of a person with sensitivities who had been denied welfare on the basis of a scandalous paper by Toronto psychiatrist Donna Stewart and a medical adjudicator who never examined the applicant. This letter had resulted in a clarification of policies at the Ministry of Community and Social Services, but no response had been received from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health officials were continuing to lie about the fact that the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Environmental Hypersensitivity Disorders had identified an existing, publicly insured method of diagnosis. The Ministry was eclipsing the actual history of sensitivities behind debate about the recent ideas of so-called "doctors of environmental medicine." Meanwhile, persons with sensitivities were being unnecessarily killed in the health care system, and excluded and injured there and elsewhere. It was not known whether the Ministry of Health ever responded to Young's letter.

Canadian press environmental reporter Dennis Bueckert was absolutely incapable of self analysis concerning myths he held about environmental sensitivities. He had his own ideas, and reality, as declared by government reports, human rights commissioners' statements, and three hundred years of literature was not going to change them. However, when a senior official with the CHRC tried to explain to Canadian Press how they were off base and causing harm, Deputy Bureau Chief Mario Possamai felt that indulging reporters' whims was more important than the human rights and security of people in their stories! Yalden was wise to bow out rather than aggravate the hatefulness of Canadian Press journalists and management.

While CHRC staff were encouraging physicians to subject patients to a reverse onus, contrary to the ethical guidelines of the Canadian Medical Association, five senior officials, including Yalden, were trying to protect the human rights of persons with sensitivities. Once Yalden was replaced by Michelle Falardeau Ramsay, every one of the supportive senior policy persons left the CHRC, and the bigotry and abusiveness of Commission middle management reasserted themselves. Since Yalden left the commission, more than 50,000 Canadians with undiagnosed sensitivities have been unnecessarily killed in health care.

Russ Wunker was Jake Epp's Chief of Staff. We had to get the CHRC Chief Commissioner on his case to remedy very basic rights violations! Interesting bio, from The Official Newsletter of the General John A. Logan Camp #4 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil Warm who "Oppose every tendency or movement that would weaken loyalty to, or make for the destruction or impairment of, our constitutional Union......." This month’s speaker will be our own Brother Russ Wunker who was born in Toronto, Ontario on February 28, 1947. As you all can observe he has been an energetic and busy individual who has accomplished great things, not the least of which is his 30 plus years as a member of the Sons of Union Veterans. We are indeed honored to hear from Russ but all the more important he is one of us. Bio of Russ Wunker Haliburton County District High School Grade XIII 1965 – History Award BA: Nyack College, Nyack, NY – 1969 (History), Class President, Honor Society MA: University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla. - 1971 (Canadian – American Relations) Taught History, Clearwater Christian College, Fla. 1969-1971 Assistant to Wm. C. Scott, M. P. – House of Commons, Ottawa - 1972 – 1979 Spec. Ast to Hon Jake Epp, Min of Indian and Northern Affairs – 1979 – 1980 Tour Director for Maureen McTeer (wife of the Prime Minister) 1980 election National Headquarters: Progressive Conservative Party of Canada – 1980 – 1984 Director of Personnel Director of Operations and Organization (Youth Bureau, Womens Bureau, Multiculteralism Bureau, Field Organizers etc.) Co-ordinator of 1981 National Convention Co -ordinator of 1983 National Policy Conference Liason with Reagan-Bush White House and Republican National Committee Co-ordinator of 1984 Leadership Convention Co-ordinator, Candidate Training College Ministerial Staff Training Committee, Assistant to (Senator) Norman K. Atkins, National Campaign Chairman 1984 Chief of Staff to Hon. Jake Epp, Minister of National Health and Welfare 1984-1988 Cabinet Committee of Priorities and Planning Chief of Staff Planning Committee Member, National Campaign Team 1988 election Chief of Staff to Hon. Jake Epp, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources 1988 Owner, Manager, Miners’ Bay Lodge Ltd. – summer resort accommodating 300+ guests Married, Dorothy A. Wunker Daughter, Erin E. Wunker 30 + year member Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War 25 + year member, The Albany Club of Toronto Formerly Chairman of the Board, currently Member of the Executive Committee, OMS International Canada Member, Preservation Warrenton, Warren County, N.C. Formerly President, currently Member of Executive, Vance County Historical Society. Curator, Vance County Museum Designer, curator of historical displays – Satterwhite Point State Park Designer, curator of displays, Norlina Museum

Transport Minister ignores accommodation issues, ignores concerns about health minister Elinor Caplan misleading public, refers concern to Caplan.

Once IgE mediated reactions were isolated in 1967, some immunologists declared that anyone who claimed to have sensitivities, but who did not have IgE reactions, must be mentally ill. Predictably, most resistant to criticism from persons with sensitivities were consumers on a mission promoting IgE reactions! Fortunately, not everyone with the Allergy Foundation was as irresponsible as some of their abusive medical advisors!

Reviewer notes controversy about specialists, ignores history of people affected.

Grace Wood, HPB, outlines history, leaving out actual issues raised.

HPB says Thomson and Zimmerman point out that there was no doubt that some people were sick because of sensitivities. Hundreds of years of history and clinical exerience are ignored. On the period of consideration of the ideas of doctors of environmental medicine is acknowledged. A much longer history is invisibilized.

Wong, like other Ministers who had responsibilities, including a legal duty of care to children being hurt and killed, congratulates others on taking a human rights approach, on dealing with the issues, while ignoring citizenship, human rights and governance issues in his own Ministry and in the Ontario cabinet. While people were having their citizenship violated, Wong was off in the clouds somewhere, with Elston, Caplan, Bradley, Hosek, Peterson, Sweeney and others.

An appeal of the severance decisions was made. The Ministry of Health never responded to it. By this time, there was a pattern of obfuscation at the Ontario Ministry of Health, while federal health officials were addressing the same issues. It was impossible to accept that provincial officials were addressing the issues in good faith, or that there was any point in discussing concerns with them. Several thousand Ontario residents with sensitivities have been unnecessarily killed in health care, since.

These documents were ordered, but never arrived.

Many MP's were being approached by constituents.

Michael Wilson referred census boycott to Vezina, later gave tax deductions for medical expenses, when asked by Alan Redway and others.

Wilson wrote several letters supporting concerns about psych patients whose problems are caused or exacerbated by environmental sensitivities.

Michael Wilson granted tax deductions when approached by the Black family through Allan Redway.

Wilson supported the issues indirectly for a couple of years before granting related medical tax breaks.

"In this modern era, pollution and the profusion of chemicals into our environment should be a major concern to every Canadian. Certainly, the various effects on mankind are becoming a more prevalent problem. I trust that the conferences in Ottawa were successful."

The Ottawa District Health Council was about to sign a settlement before the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The Toronto DHC was ignoring the abuse of persons with sensitivities in health care as well. Since then, there have been about 12,000 unnecessary deaths of persons with undiagnosed sensitivities in Toronto health care.

Some Ottawa hospitals promised to address issues arising from sensitivities in health care. Although some efforts were made by managers, and though they sometimes make a big deal about their "scent free" policies, today they show a flagrant disregard for the daily injuries or deaths of persons with undiagnosed sensitivities in their care.

McDonald College had a reputation for being engaged with environmental issues.

Woman with severe allergies and kids with allergies kills them and herself and no one knows why.

Once Widenmaier realized it was easier to accommodate the child, he made efforts to do so. Still, the belligerence of management in the Carleton Board of Education was reminiscent of the well known abusiveness and bullying of managers in OCTranspo! One wonders why school administrators (not Widenmaier) want to seriously abuse children rather than learn.

OMR article was supposed to address attitudes but left out consequences of bad attitudes, ignored history and fact of their being a publicly insured method of diagnosis. Not only did OMR leave out the injuries and deaths being caused by abusive attitudes, they edited the letter Brown sent to address what they had left out, removing all references to the more serious consequences of abusive attitudes. The main issues were left out of the original article, and they were edited out of the letter to the editor complaining about the fact that they had been left out. Then, their senior communications officer explained away this unethical journalism by saying that the version of the letter they published maintained the sense of the one they had received.

Ad designed by Stephanie Wells. Reached measured 2.5 million impressions, English Canadian media. "No straw shall be given you, yet ye shall deliver the tale of Bricks."

Les Briques Plein Air

A few school boards in Ontario sought to accommodate children with learning or behavioral problems caused by sensitivities. Eventually, while Marion Boyd was Ontario Minister of Education, the ministry helped us. By 1996, the OMA's rep on the Ministry's advisory committee on sensitivities was also helping. God knows what is being done to these children across the province and across the country. For some helpful information, see http://ages.ca/nccs

7. Briefly describe how you know of the person or organization you want to nominate. Mr. Brown has been known to the District Health Council since 1986 when, to draw attention to the plight of citizens suffering from environmental hypersensitivity, he lodged a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission against the DHC, on the basis that the DHC had failed to plan services for such citizens. Since 1989 Mr. Brown and Council have worked together constructively, to raise the level of understanding of the environmental hypersensitivity problemo 8. Describe one innovation that relates to health for which that person or organization is responsible. The approach adopted by Mr. Brown (as noted in #7 above) was in itself "innovative. 1t He has worked diligently to research and draw attention to the negative health effects of environmental hypersensitivity, and to prompt enquiry into the means of identifying the chemical origin of perceived psychiatric problems in the population.

Crusty guys like Peter Warren and Alan Redway were picking up the issue, but still Health and Welfare was turning a blind eye to preventable deaths.

The needs of some persons with physical disabilities have been in the building code for decades. Others, including persons with sensitivities, have been arbitrarily excluded.

Waller ignores long history of CNS sequelae, misrepresents Zimmerman report as being against the concern raised, rather than being against the approaches of doctors of environmental medicine to the concerns it recognized. She and her associates ignore their responsibility not to cause harm to persons whose psych problems are caused or exacerbated by environmental sensitivities, as described in three hundred years of scientific literature and clinical experience.

Waller insists on placing the abusers in charge of the Ministry's response.

Across Canada, people with sensitivities have housing problems that are not being addressed, particularly by authorities who provide assisted housing.

I had appealed to churches for help. Indoor air expert Walkinshaw was helpful on indoor air quality issues, but professed no expertise concerning the preventable abuse and killing of persons with sensitivities by physicians, or possible government intervention to reduce it.

Walker and his staff were very helpful until the Liberals were elected to government. He had a firm grasp of the human rights issues, but did not know the history of sensitivities except for the controversy around the cult of environmental medicine. He understood that, for persons with sensitivities, attitudinal pollution was more important than pollution itself.

David Walker was usually very helpful. Unfortunately, in this letter he has absorbed one of Health and Welfare's many mis-statements, that there was not a method of diagnosis. In fact, as the 1985 Ontario Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Environmental Hypersensitivity Disorders (note plural) identified, there has been a publicly insured method of diagnosis since there has been public health insurance in Canada. His letter demonstates how difficult it is to get real help even from people who want to help when targets are putting out disinformation, in this case that there was not, already, a publicly insured method of diagnosis.

Waddell, like several federal NDPers, was supportive until Judy Wasylycia Leis took over the issue in the 1990's, even while the Ontario NDP health minister was turning a blind eye on the contribution her officials were making to the exclusion, injury and unnecessary killing of persons with sensitivities in health care.

This promise was not kept.

Mary Collins was an absentee health minister, appointed only a few months before a necessary election. During her term, abusive attitudes began to resurface amongst federal health officials.

"Officials of my Department would be prepared to meet with representatives of your association to discuss labelling concerns and problems associated with specific product groups or products subject to the Acts and Regulations mentioned above."

During this period, Ministers were saying they were sympathetic while public servants were advocating the violation of peoples' legal rights. There was a marked contrast between the belligerence of most pubic service managers and the concern and awareness expressed at the Ministerial level in several departments.

In 1986, only two Canadian media outlets responded to the concern that persons with sensitivities were finding their situations made impossible by attitudes, and committing suicide on a regular basis. In late 1986/87, the Fresh Air Brick brought dozens of inquiries from across the Canada and from Hawaii to Bitburg, Germany.

I was rejected by nearly every foundation I approached.

Various articles forward the ideas of doctors of environmental medicine in a way that eclipses other medical knowledge.