By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada and Ontario Public Health, a sustained northward migration of blacklegged tick populations, driven by warming winters and expanding deer and rodent habitats, has resulted in more Ontario communities now falling within confirmed Lyme disease risk zones than at any point previously on record.

At the June 23 Caledon Council meeting, a motion was put forward requesting that the Government of Ontario investigate and implement measures to reduce growing tick populations and mitigate their associated public health risks.

Put forward by Councillor Doug Maskell, the motion added that measures may include safe and effective tick control methods, public education campaigns and coordinated regional strategies and that the Province consider increased funding and support for local public health units to

address tick-borne disease prevention.

The motion brought forward concerned residents and Council members.

Delegating that evening was Kimberly Fosbury; her son has been battling Lyme disease for the past eight years.

Partway through her son's soccer season, which she added he spent much of searching in grass for the ball, he collapsed in what appeared to be a seizure, and has spent much of the last eight years bedridden.

It took her family more than two years to receive a Lyme diagnosis, during which they saw more than half a dozen specialists at SickKids.

“I'm here to tell you that ticks are more than just a nuisance, that one tick bite can actually destroy a person's life.”

“Once Lyme goes chronic, two to three months beyond the bite, there is no cure. There is no cure for chronic Lyme disease,” Fosbury told Council. 

She says prior to her son's illness, he was a “a bright, active young man, lots of friends, and sociable,” and had a goal of getting a scholarship to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study computer programming.

“This past couple of years has been very difficult because most of his friends have been graduating and starting their careers and their lives, and he hasn't been able to do any of that,” said Fosbury.

“Me, as the primary caregiver over these past eight years, I'm physically, emotionally, financially exhausted, but there's no end in sight, all from one tick bite, one tick bite. His Lyme symptoms are horrible when he goes through an episode. There's nothing I can do except watch him writhe in pain and beg for me not to let him die, because up to ten per cent of Lyme patients can contract Lyme carditis and currently, we spend eight and a half hours at Cortellucci (hospital) on Saturday because his heart is being affected.”

She estimates they've spent over $100,000, with “more to come.”

“The sad part is our family is not alone. Since we've had the diagnosis, we've encountered many other families right here in Bolton and in Caledon that are going through the same battle,” said Fosbury.

Fosbury said tick mitigation and control are essential, adding that it should be a cohesive approach throughout Canada when it comes to education.

“Prevention is really key and we need to protect our citizens, especially our children who are the most vulnerable to tick bites,” she said. “I don't want anyone else to suffer like my son and our family has suffered over the last eight years.”

“We need to put out an education campaign, how to prevent and what we can do,” said Mayor Annette Groves. 

Added Maskell: “Hopefully this motion, and other motions that are coming out across Ontario, will spur the Ontario government and the federal government to come up with some comprehensive measures. This is a serious problem that is only getting worse.”

Agreement was shared around the Council table.

Councillor Tony Rosa added it's disheartening to hear of local school trips being cancelled due to the increasing tick population, “students are not getting the full programming and opportunities because of this,” he said.

Councillor Nick de Boer added that in his business in farming, for the past ten years, due to ticks in the fields, much of the information relied on came from New York State.

“I know somebody who was exposed to a tick in New York, came back to Ontario. They denied that there was anything wrong because they didn't consider ticks being a problem in Ontario and he ended up being paralyzed,” shared de Boer.

Councillor Lynn Kiernan said after living here all her life, this is the first year that she has stopped hiking in the forests and provincial parks.

It was also discussed that Peel Region does not actively publish data on tested ticks, unlike other regions in the area.

“‘I'm happy to speak to the medical officer of health at Peel Region to understand why Peel isn't publishing, if they are not publishing,” said Groves. “Because I think it is important, I don't think people recognize the seriousness of Lyme disease and what it can do to someone.”

Other efforts were also discussed that evening including the potential for Staff to be directed to move towards monitoring in local parks, involving Credit Valley Conservation and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, as well as to review service-level standards for cutting grass.

The motion was passed unanimously.