A new survey on health and wellness in the province’s north finds workers in the uranium industry credit their companies for improving not only their own health but the health of their families and communities, as well.

McArthur River and McClean Lake were the two mines involved in the Community Vitality Monitoring Partnership Process Study of the Effects of the Uranium Industry Health and Wellness Programs, which was a follow-up to a joint federal-provincial panel on uranium mining in northern Saskatchewan which began its work in 1998.

There are lots of numbers in the survey and some surprising results, but overall the findings were positive.

The coordinator of the survey is La Ronge Mayor Thomas Sierzycki.

He says smoking, diabetes, and cancer were identified as major health concerns among both mine workers and communities at large.

The smoking rate for mine workers is about 60 per cent.

“And industry, as well as the health representatives on the committee, felt that is an area that needs to continue to be a priority of industry,” he said.

In terms of other health concerns listed in the survey, cancer was number one followed by diabetes, and heart health. Sierzycki says reducing smoke rates would significantly improve that.  He says concerns about mine related cancers are negligible. He says radon gas levels in some basements in the south are significantly higher than the levels you will find in a uranium mine.

Suicide was the leading cause of injury deaths in northern Saskatchewan between 1998 and 2007, accounting for one-in-four injury deaths.  Between 1998 and 2002, the rates increased by nearly 52 per cent.  Motor vehicle accidents were second.  Two-thirds of those deaths involved impaired drivers.

Sierzycki says addictions and mental health issues are an area of concern.

“And, unfortunately, suicide continues to be one of the leading causes and that is another area where I think not only was industry doing a very good job, but the northern health regions, as well as governments, community leadership, everyone needs to band together to try to reduce those numbers,” he said.

Benefits of the on-site health and wellness programs include sharing of health-related information with family and friends, healthier lifestyle choices at home and easy access to health services.