remote communities

Islander aims Clearflo clean drinking water system at Canada’s remote communities

Islander aims Clearflo clean drinking water system at Canada’s remote communities

“We can provide access to safe, clean water where it’s lacking in third world countries,” Haughton said. “Strangely enough, we have that situation right here in our backyard in Canada, which is surprising and disappointing.” Worth $300,000, the mobile system is designed to sit inside a 10-foot shipping container. It uses natural filters to remove bacteria, metals and chemicals. It can produce 50,000 litres of water in a day, via solar energy, which is enough for 500-2,000 people, depending on the location.

Neskantaga First Nation Still Doesn’t Have Clean Water

Neskantaga First Nation Still Doesn’t Have Clean Water

This past November marked 25 years since Neskantaga First Nation, located in Northwestern Ontario, was placed on a boil water advisory. In October 2020, over 250 Neskantaga residents were evacuated and transferred to a hotel in Thunder Bay after “an oily sheen was found in the Neskantaga water reservoir;” “high levels of hydrocarbons” were discovered in the water after testing. Residents were able to return after two months, but the boil water advisory remains. Chief Chris Moonias has called upon Ontario Premier Doug Ford to support Neskantaga First Nation in securing clean drinking water and properly trained water operators – Ford has yet to respond. Ending all boil-water advisories in Canada can no longer be delayed; Ford must act in accordance with the concerns of the Neskantaga First Nation immediately.

Measures to stop spread of COVID-19 in First Nations limited by lack of infrastructure: report

Measures to stop spread of COVID-19 in First Nations limited by lack of infrastructure: report

Suggested measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 won't be effective in remote Manitoba First Nations unless housing conditions and access to clean water are improved, says a new report. "Asking people to wash their hands and isolate in overcrowded homes without running water is like asking people unable to afford bread to eat cake," reads the report, released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

WSP Canada Wins Award for Innovative Solution for Safe Water in Remote Communities

WSP Canada Wins Award for Innovative Solution for Safe Water in Remote Communities

WSP won for its work in developing an innovative solution for safe water in remote communities. Like many remote communities, the people of the Tl’azt’en Nation in northern B.C. had no access to clean drinking water. Because conventional water treatment technology was unfeasible, WSP Canada and the RES’EAU-WaterNET partnered to develop a treatment system for organic material. The project delivered a full-scale plant that allowed a 14-year boil water advisory to be lifted. The system uses natural biological processes, is low in consumables, reduces chemical requirements, produces little waste and is simple for operators to use.