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Latest news about the Safe Drinking Water Team
Water, water, everywhere. That may be the case elsewhere but the Okanagan Valley has always had its water challenges. The drier, southern part of the region sees an average of 250 mm of precipitation per year, while the northern part and higher elevations see an average of 400 mm per year. Kelowna Airport, for example, receives 298 mm of which 102 mm (34 per cent) falls as snow.
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are making changes to the AgriRecovery Drought Assistance Program to make it easier for producers to receive funding and to enhance financial compensation, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson announced today. “Manitoba producers are working hard, and our government is committed to ensuring they are fully supported during this difficult time,” said Bibeau. “By making these changes to the AgriRecovery program in the province, we are making it easier for them to access funding that will help them when they need it most.”
“13.5 percent of First Nations communities in Canada cannot drink their own tap water. In Ontario, that number is 40 percent, which means 4 out of 10 First Nations in Ontario have unsafe drinking water,” said Christopher Bell, VP and General Manager of Kohler Kitchen & Bath Canada. “As a company focused on water, we are committed to promoting access to clean and safe water and are honoured to partner with Water First to develop sustainable solutions to water issues in communities across Canada.”
“Through the Canada Water Agency, our government is looking to strengthen collaboration between the federal government, the provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples and other partners to find the best ways to safeguard our freshwater consultations are an important part of this process and I look forward to input from Canadians,” Terry Duguid said in a statement. Mr. Duguid is Parliamentary Secretary to Minister Wilkinson and has been key in the development process. The discussion paper, ‘Toward the Creation of a Canada Water Agency,’ presents key issues and provides an overview of the federal government’s existing activities to enhance freshwater management, and a virtual national freshwater policy forum is planned for January 27 and 28. A series of regional forums will be held in February that will provide additional opportunities to participate in consultations. The discussion paper and additional information can be found at placespeak.ca. Comments can be submitted until March 1.
