"Off the chart" toxic releases in Saskatchewan have been going unpunished for years. Provincial air quality standards have been breached hundreds of times since 2014, but those living nearby were not warned and oil companies responsible for some of the emissions have faced no charges or fines.

The federal government is failing to protect Canadians from toxic refinery emissions pumped into the air at rates far above those in the United States, opposition politicians said Thursday in response to a Toronto Star/Global News/National Observer investigation. Federal MPs said they were shocked and troubled by the findings.

“Overwhelming” one resident called it. “Disgusting,” said another who inhaled the smell wafting through this western Saskatchewan town of 2,500 on Jan. 2.

For years, amid troubling emission data and oil facility failures, they debated whether to share this information with the public. In the end, it was not shared. Until we published it.