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.
‘They’re really struggling’: Inside the Neskantaga First Nation water crisis
When Chris Moonias woke up thirsty at 4 a.m. in his room at the Victoria Inn on a recent fall day, the first thing he did was look for a bottle of water. Though tap water was available in the bathroom, the Neskantaga First Nation chief grabbed his key, left his room, and walked to a nearby boardroom to find a bottle. He couldn’t bring himself to use the tap. His community has been under a 25-year boil-water advisory, Canada’s longest, and a distrust of running water, he says, has become pervasive among its members: “That’s the continued trauma. I'm not the only one that goes through this. If you go room to room here at the hotel, I guarantee you 100 per cent of those rooms have cases of bottled water.”