drinking water advisories

'Everyone deserves it': Business owners work to bring clean water to First Nations communities

'Everyone deserves it': Business owners work to bring clean water to First Nations communities

With more than two dozen First Nation communities in Canada still under drinking water advisories, two Indigenous business leaders are doing their part to change that. "We wanted to create awareness of what was going on in our communities and what's still going on," Tyson Wesley, co-owner of FN Clean Water in Ottawa, told CTV National News. Driven by his own experiences with drinking water advisories, Wesley and fellow company co-owner Natasha Commanda run FN Clean Water, with the goal of bringing clean drinking water to First Nations.

Canada to compensate First Nations for decades of dirty water

Canada to compensate First Nations for decades of dirty water

It’s Tuesday, January 5, and Canada is spending billions on clean drinking water for First Nations communities. Tens of thousands of Indigenous people in Canada have spent decades without reliable access to clean drinking water. Now, the Canadian government has plans to put it right. A court-approved settlement released late last month commits Canada to spending more than $4 billion on improvements to drinking water infrastructure at hundreds of Indigenous reserves throughout the country. Another $1.18 billion will be provided in damages to some 140,000 First Nations people who have lived under drinking water advisories for longer than a year, often under orders to boil water to avoid potential contamination from bacteria like E. coli.

Hajdu looking at 'realistic timeline' to end First Nations boil water advisories

Hajdu looking at 'realistic timeline' to end First Nations boil water advisories

Canada's new minister of Indigenous services says she's considering what the new timeline should be to lift remaining long-term drinking-water advisories on First Nations. Patty Hajdu enters the role with 43 advisories still in place in 31 different communities mostly in Ontario, but also in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to end all drinking-water advisories by 2021 when the Liberals were swept to power in 2015.

Indigenous leaders want ‘meaningful action’ from next gov’t. Here are the promises so far

Indigenous leaders want ‘meaningful action’ from next gov’t. Here are the promises so far

In 2015, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau promised to lift all long-term drinking-water advisories by March 2021. He admitted in December the deadline would be missed, but lifted more than 100 long-term drinking water advisories over five years. In March, Liberals committed to ending all advisories but did not set a new deadline. Roughly 50 long-term drinking-water advisories in 31 First Nations are still in place. In their platform, Conservatives say they will end long-term drinking water advisories by targeting high-risk water systems and work with Indigenous communities to find new approaches to provide clean drinking water in the long term. The NDP promises to fully fund the services and infrastructure for clean water in order to end water advisories. The party pledges to support Indigenous-led water management training programs and water system operations, and will fund on-reserve emergency management and prevention.

First Nations and Ottawa agree to $8-billion settlement on drinking water advisories

First Nations and Ottawa agree to $8-billion settlement on drinking water advisories

A proposed settlement agreement worth nearly $8 billion has been reached in two national class action lawsuits launched against the federal government by First Nations living under drinking water advisories. The settlement, which is awaiting court approval, would offer $1.5 billion in compensation to individuals deprived of clean drinking water and modernize Canada's First Nations drinking water legislation.

Marten Falls First Nation sues federal government over drinking water advisory

Marten Falls First Nation sues federal government over drinking water advisory

Marten Falls First Nation of northern Ontario has announced it is joining class-action litigation against the Attorney General of Canada seeking action on drinking water advisories in First Nation communities. Legal representatives handing the suit are Olthuis, Kleer, Townshend (OKT) LLP and McCarthy Tetrault LLP, stated a June 29 release. The statement said, “Marten Falls has decided to participate in this class-action lawsuit because it has been under a boil water advisory for over 20 years. The lack of potable water in the community has resulted in illness, an unnecessary loss of opportunities amongst community members, and a burdensome distribution process.”

These First Nations are taking safe drinking water into their own hands

These First Nations are taking safe drinking water into their own hands

Indigenous Services Canada has announced it won’t end long-term advisories until 2023 at the earliest. In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to ending all long-term drinking water advisories by March 2021. When that deadline passed, the government recommitted to ending long-term advisories without a target date. This announcement comes as no surprise to many First Nations outraged by the lack of progress on ending drinking water advisories in their communities, and the growing divide and gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Canada's Indigenous communities remain under boil-water advisories amid Covid-19

Canada's Indigenous communities remain under boil-water advisories amid Covid-19

Dozens of indigenous communities across Canada have still no access to drinking water more than a year into the coronavirus outbreak as the country’s liberal government has officially failed to deliver on its own five-year deadline to lift all drinking water advisories in First Nations reserves. Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan presented a report in February documenting the total failure of successive Canadian governments -- including Justin Trudeau’s -- to provide for Indigenous communities’ most basic needs, insisting that “Access to safe drinking water is a basic human necessity,” according to the US-based World Socialist Web Site (WSWS).

Ottawa lags on promise to end drinking-water advisories for First Nations

Ottawa lags on promise to end drinking-water advisories for First Nations

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation has been under a drinking-water advisory since 1997. The community’s new water treatment plant, due to come online in the summer, will finally provide safe water. The Trudeau government promised to eliminate all long-term advisories on reserves by March, but dozens still lack access to safe drinking water.

Auditor General urges Feds to resolve clean drinking water issues

Auditor General urges Feds to resolve clean drinking water issues

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.”