water issues

Water issues need to be addressed across Canada

Water issues need to be addressed across Canada

Last Thursday, I took part in the House of Commons Environment Committee hearings into Canada’s freshwater resources. Appearing before us were representatives from Health Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Global Affairs Canada. As you can imagine, the issue of freshwater resources is an immense and complicated—but extraordinarily important—subject, so the conversation was lively and illuminating. Indigenous Services officials were, of course, asked why there were still 28 First Nations communities with boil-water advisories eight years after the government promised to fix the huge problem of neglect they found when taking office. Most of these problems go back much further than eight years. For example, the Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario has been on a boil water advisory since 1995. While some of these situations face jurisdictional and engineering challenges, we can all agree they would have been fixed much more quickly in non-indigenous communities.

Canadore College launches Water Teaching Lodge

Canadore College launches Water Teaching Lodge

Shawn Chorney offered to be the first to take a drink of water from the pond at the Education Centre this summer. The vice president of Canadore College’s Enrolment Management, Indigenous and Student Services, helped launch and open its new Water Teaching Lodge. The lodge is located in the First Peoples’ Centre in the main campus off College Drive. The lodge and the construction of an operational water treatment facility on campus will provide a new approach to clean water and technology that prioritizes Indigenous teachings about water.

Water matters here

Water matters here

I discovered one obvious reality when I moved to Manitoba in 2001: water is a big, big issue here. And it’s often news. Farm news. Agriculture news. Winnipeg news. Indigenous news. Environmental news. Sometimes it even gets to be national news. Whether it’s floods, droughts, water pollution, drainage, wetlands, sewage plant costs or Canada-U.S. river crossings, water issues are often the most important in the province.

Oneida Nation of the Thames rescinds conserve water alert, but officials say urgent action still needed

Oneida Nation of the Thames rescinds conserve water alert, but officials say urgent action still needed

Oneida Nation of the Thames officials have announced the cancellation of a conserve water alert in the First Nation, after a serious water shortage was first announced on Dec. 16, followed by the declaration of a state of emergency on Dec. 20. Oneida Nation, located just southwest of London, Ont., originally declared a conserve water alert due to the effect of extreme weather conditions on the First Nation's water supply. This put residents under an order to limit water use with the water reserve in the community's water tower, the primary source of water for the 546 homes and 22 buildings in the territory, at all-time low levels.

'The world is running out of water,' says water expert from Six Nations, Ont.

'The world is running out of water,' says water expert from Six Nations, Ont.

The world is "running out of water," Makasa Looking Horse says, and if we don't take action soon, it will be too late. Looking Horse, from Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, is one of the hosts of the Ohneganos Ohnegahdę:gyo – Let's Talk about Water podcast, which won a 2021 David Suzuki Foundation Future Ground Prize. The prize recognizes youth-led movements. It's a podcast created, the Suzuki Foundation says, to "engage Indigenous communities and disseminate research findings by facilitating meaningful discussion about water issues and climate change."

Irrigation dispute resolved for southern Alberta farmers

Irrigation dispute resolved for southern Alberta farmers

Water issues continued to plague southern Alberta farmers into Tuesday as few details were available as to why or what was happening, but officials later said a resolution had been reached. Those who rely on the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) to water their crops and animals were worried this blockage, and standoff between the government and the Piikani Nation, could cause detrimental results.

Why ajuinata is the Inuktitut word we could all use right now

Why ajuinata is the Inuktitut word we could all use right now

When Gov. Gen. Mary Simon visited Windsor Castle last month, she may have taught Queen Elizabeth a new word: ajuinata, roughly pronounced aye-yoo-ee-nah-tah. In fact, it's not a new word at all, but a very old one, Simon later explained to the CBC's Adrienne Arsenault. "Ajuinata means that if you're confronted with adversity or things that are difficult, you keep going, you don't give up, and you need to make a commitment to continue to make changes," said Simon, the first Indigenous person to hold the office.

Indigenous program allows youth to tackle water issues in their community

Indigenous program allows youth to tackle water issues in their community

A Canada-wide Indigenous water initiative is providing young people with an opportunity to tackle water problems in their communities. According to Kimberly Brown, a Tsimshian water engineer in training and a member of the Lax Kw’alaams Band in British Columbia, the goal of the challenge is ” to create Indigenous youth who want to become water engineers or scientists…” “It’s just the opportunity for eight communities to participate and solve their own water issues, and it’s judged by their own communities not sure, so it’s very Indigenous-led and Indigenous supported.”

Indigenous-driven water governance approaches crucial: experts

Indigenous-driven water governance approaches crucial: experts

As work continues on combating water issues facing First Nations in Canada, researchers and organizations are increasingly looking at the role of Indigenous self-determination in terms of policy, research and governance. In November, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) held its third annual water symposium, with the theme of First Nations Water Post-2021.

Municipal Affairs and Environment Minister Graham Letto says communities should notify residents and take action to correct water quality issues

Municipal Affairs and Environment Minister Graham Letto says communities should notify residents and take action to correct water quality issues

“If you are above the Health Canada standards (which have been the same since 2006), by God you should be informing your residents that is the case,” said the minister. “For liability and accountability purposes, you should be doing that and municipalities have to take some responsibility in that.”