Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Curve Lake First Nation took a bold step when it launched a $2.1 billion lawsuit against the federal government over failed promises to supply the community with clean drinking water. Last week’s report by the Auditor General of Canada highlighted, once again, just how badly Ottawa has failed hundreds of First Nations communities across the country over decades, and continues to fail many of them.
The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation says the federal government needs to improve its commitment to bringing clean drinking water to First Nations. The auditor general released a report Friday finding that Indigenous Services Canada has not provided enough support to ensure that First Nations have ongoing access to safe drinking water. She issued five recommendations aimed at rectifying the problems.
“We are very concerned, and honestly, disheartened that this long-standing issue is still not resolved,” Horgan told a news conference in Ottawa. Indigenous Services Canada won’t meet its commitment to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories by the end of March, something the government admitted late last fall. Hogan also noted the government has not created a regulatory regime for managing drinking water in First Nations communities. “Access to safe drinking water is a basic human necessity,” she said. “I don’t believe anyone would say that this is in any way an acceptable situation in Canada in 2021.”
A scathing report has been released by Canada’s Auditor General concerning on-going boil water advisories in First Nations communities. Karen Hogan says the support provided by Indigenous Services Canada has not been adequate to address long-standing problems with safe drinking water for many. Hogan says drinking water notices remain a part of daily life in many aboriginal communities, with almost half of existing long-term advisories in place for more than a decade.
The Federal Auditor General is speaking out, expressing her disappointment over the unresolved issues of access to clean drinking water on First Nations reserves. “I am very concerned and honestly disheartened that this long standing issue is still not resolved,” said Auditor General Karen Hogan. “Drinking water advisory’s have remained a constant in many communities with almost half outstanding for more than 10 years.”
