News Release: The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit continues Potassium Iodide (KI) Pill Distribution in the City of Windsor

For Immediate Release
Friday, February 21, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. | Windsor, Ontario

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) will be distributing Potassium Iodide (KI) pills to Windsor residents living in the secondary zone which is 80 km from Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Generating Station. This initiative is to ensure our community is prepared in the unlikely event of a nuclear emergency.

All City of Windsor residents are encouraged to pick up a package of KI pills. If you had previously obtained these pills, they are nearing their expiration date.

You can pick up KI pills during the months of February and March at the following locations:

• February 25, 2025 (10 AM – 6 PM)
  • Mackenzie Hall – Main Gallery
    3277 Sandwich Street, Windsor, ON N9C 1A9
• March 5, 2025 (10 AM – 6 PM)
  • Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex - Red Maple Room
    2555 Pulford St, Windsor, ON N9E 0A7
• March 11, 2025 (10 AM – 6 PM)
  • Gino and Liz Marcus Community Complex - Drouillard Room
    1168 Drouillard Rd, Windsor, ON N8Y 2R1
• March 19, 2025 (10 AM – 6 PM)
  • Forest Glade Community Centre – Wildwood Room
    3215 Forest Glade Drive, Windsor, ON N8R 1W7

After receiving new KI pills, residents can safely dispose of expired KI pills in their household garbage or drop them off at their local pharmacy. 

KI pills block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine which may be released during a nuclear incident. KI pills would help to prevent the development of thyroid cancer in such instances. 

KI pills are only to be taken when instructed by the WECHU’s Medical Officer of Health. The pills should be stored in a safe, dry, and accessible place along with your 72-hour emergency kit.

While the level of risk has not changed at Fermi 2, the regulatory framework for Canadian nuclear installations has been updated. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has mandated that all residents within the primary zone of a nuclear installation have KI pills available in their homes. While Fermi 2 is not regulated by the CNSC, WECHU would like the residents living within the primary and secondary zones of Fermi 2 to be as prepared as all other Canadian residents.

For more information on KI pills and KI pill distribution, please visit wechu.org/KI or call 519-258-2146 ext. 4445.