Is Your Property Protected from Prospectors? W-FIVE Investigates How Mining Companies Can Legally Dig Your Land Out From Under You

- Also: W-FIVE revisits the story of Toronto gynecologist Dr. Richard Austin, as 20 new patients come forward as a result of W-FIVE's March 2008 investigation, claiming injury at the hands of the doctor -

Toronto, ON (November 26, 2008) - Imagine retiring to beautiful rural Ontario, only to find that prospectors have staked your land for mining purposes. In a new episode of W-FIVE, reporter Victor Malarek investigates mineral rights and why the laws in Ontario seem to favour mining companies over landowners, Saturday, November 29 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local listings).

Now in its 43rd season, last week's W-FIVE episode on a wildlife sanctuary in Northern Ontario was watched by more than 1 million viewers opposite HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA, up 59% over the previous week.

In this new episode, Malarek meets property owners in Southeastern Ontario who were shocked to find out their land had been staked by a mining claim. According to the Mining Act, such claims entitle miners to drill within a property after blasting away the topsoil in cases where the owner does not own the underlying mineral rights to their property. This process can completely change the landscape and potentially destroy the ecosystem in the area. Property owners concerned about the fate of their land point to Elliot Lake in Northern Ontario, which still hasn't recovered from the uranium mine built there in the 1960s. The area is still mired in toxic tailings and radioactive sludge.

Malarek also speaks with Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle about possible changes to the Mining Act that could give these troubled landowners the peace of mind they so desperately need.

Thousands of property owners in Ontario are in the same boat - squatters on their own land with no rights but all the expenses when the mining companies eventually leave. When Sharbot Lake, ON resident Gloria Morrison discovered that her property had been staked by the Frontenac Venture mining company, she reached out to the local Ardock-Algonquin First Nations and found an ally in retired chief and Queen's University lecturer Bob Lovelace.

When Lovelace discovered that indeed the mining company had also staked their traditional lands where they live, hunt and grow wild rice, he launched a peaceful protest on Parliament Hill. When protesters refused to stay away from the Frontenac Venture offices, seven protesters were charged with contempt. Lovelace was eventually sentenced to six months in jail and was fined $25,000 for what he saw as his obligation: to protect his ancestral land from environmental carnage.

While less than two per cent of property owners in Southeastern Ontario don't own the mineral rights to their land, this percentage represents a huge geographical area: over 180,000 hectares of lakes, marshes and wildlife. This area is so important that part of it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Also in this episode, Malarek updates a story that W-FIVE aired in March, 2008, about Toronto gynecologist Dr. Richard Austin. Last year, Malarek spoke with patients of Dr. Austin, who claimed that he injured them during routine surgeries. Austin was warned in 2004 by the hospital where he worked that his complication rate for a routine surgery (laparoscopic hysterectomy) was 10 times greater than is considered acceptable by professional standards.

Since the original episode aired, an additional 20 former patients of Dr. Austin have come forward interested in pursuing legal action against the now retired doctor, bringing the total number of former patients involved in a potential class action to 60. In this episode, the women explain to Malarek that since Austin's retirement, the College of Physicians and Surgeons has dropped any investigations into Austin's performance. Now, the former patients say, their only recourse is through the courts.

With an ongoing commitment to covering tough, relevant stories in all their shades of grey, W-FIVE is now in its 43rd season of investigative journalism. Hosted by CTV NATIONAL NEWS' Lloyd Robertson and Sandie Rinaldo, the award-winning series is the most-watched current affairs program in Canada. Malcolm Fox is Executive Producer and Anton Koschany is Senior Producer of W-FIVE, a presentation of CTV News. Robert Hurst is President of CTV News and Current Affairs.

CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.

-CTV-