Hundreds of Canadian forestry workers were exposed to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange clearing forests in Northern Ontario, the Toronto Star said Thursday.
An investigation by the newspaper showed government records of the carcinogenic chemical's use beginning in the 1950s and continuing through the 1970s.
The chemical gained notoriety when U.S. forces began spraying it from aircraft in Vietnam in 1961 to expose enemy positions in dense jungle. Thousands of U.S. soldiers later began showing various illnesses including cancers, liver and skin disorders and impaired immune, endocrine and reproductive functions, the report said.