Inquest to examine 5 deaths during blastomycosis outbreak in First Nation in northern Ontario

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 11, 2025 3:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 11

A coroner's inquest was announced Friday into 5 deaths during an outbreak of blastomycosis successful Constance Lake First Nation, conscionable westbound of Hearst successful northeastern Ontario. 

The deaths occurred betwixt Nov. 19, 2021, and Jan. 23, 2022. Constance Lake First Nation was successful a authorities of exigency for implicit a twelvemonth aft radical archetypal started to get sick with blastomycosis, a fungal corruption that impacts the lungs. Dozens of radical were besides treated. 

The inquest volition analyse the circumstances surrounding the deaths of:

• Luke Moore, 43.
• Lorraine Shaganash, 47.
• Lizzie Sutherland, 56.
• Mark Ferris, 67.
• Douglas Taylor, 60.

According to Public Health Ontario, blastomycosis is caused by a fungus known arsenic Blastomyces dermatitidis, which commonly grows successful moist ungraded and decomposing wood and leaves.

"If this situation is disturbed (e.g., done activities specified arsenic camping, digging/gardening, dirt/mountain biking), tiny fungal spores whitethorn beryllium released into the aerial which tin pb to corruption if inhaled," its website says.

Dr. Harry Voogjarv, determination supervising coroner based successful Sudbury, announced the inquest. A date for the proceedings has not yet been released.

An inquest's five-person assemblage is tasked with identifying who died, erstwhile and wherever they died, their aesculapian origin of death, and by what means they died — classified arsenic either earthy causes, accident, homicide, termination oregon undetermined.

Jurors cannot delegate blasted oregon marque immoderate ineligible judgments, but whitethorn marque recommendations aimed astatine preventing future, akin deaths.

Public Health Ontario reported 126 cases of blastomycosis crossed the state successful 2023, resulting successful 11 deaths. There were besides 13 deaths successful 2021 and 4 successful 2022.