This year marks the 11th anniversary of what many Canadians refer to as the Walkerton Tragedy. The tragedy took place in the year 2000 in the small southwestern Ontario town of Walkerton where more than 2,300 of the town's
4,800 residents became ill after a deadly E. coli outbreak.

Many of the residents became severely ill and seven people died as a result of the outbreak which occurred after E. coli from a nearby farm contaminated the municipal water supply.

After a government investigation determined that the water supply had not been adequately chlorinated, two brothers who ran the water utility pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

Stan Koebel spent one year in prison while his brother Frank faced house arrest for nine months.

2000 Walkerton residents also participated in a decade-long health study that found that those who fell ill may be at an increased risk for hypertension, renal impairment and cardiovascular disease.

Marking the anniversary, the Ontario Government announced that it has paid more than $72 million ($74.4 million US) in compensation to the Walkerton victims and their families.

"As a society, we must never forget this chapter in our history", stated Attorney General Chris Bentley. "As a government, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure safe, strong communities for Ontario families".