Ontario to give wildland firefighters presumptive coverage for cancers, PTSD

The Ontario government plans to give wildland firefighters the same treatment as municipal firefighters when they suffer from certain cancers, heart injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, after complaints for years from those who battle forest fires that they were left without benefits after falling ill.Labour Minister David Piccini will announce on Monday he is tabling legislation and regulatory changes that would ensure wildland firefighters, investigators and volunteers are given the same presumptive coverage as other firefighters when they submit claims to the province’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.