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Latest news about the Safe Drinking Water Team
A Wiikwemkoong Elder could be featured on Canada’s $20 bill following a campaign to have an Indigenous woman featured on the note. CEO of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Lynne Groulx, says they launched the “Change the Bill” in January, a campaign aiming to get an Indigenous woman featured on the bill to acknowledge contributions made in Canada.
The First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) is calling on the federal government to fund First Nations infrastructure projects the same way it funds municipal and provincial projects to fulfill its promise to bridge the infrastructure gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada by 2030. A news release from FNFA says this relationship would be rooted in “partnership rather than paternalism.”
The Simpcw First Nation has become the latest community to declare a part of its traditional territory near the B.C.-Alberta border to be protected from logging and other extractive activities. On Monday, the First Nation announced it had declared the Raush Valley watershed — home to rare temperate rainforests located in the Rocky Mountains, halfway between Valemount and McBride — as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA), based on what it says is the community's inherent right over its unceded territory.
“Few could recall any recent actions taken by the government of Canada specifically related to ensuring access to clean drinking water,” said Canadians Views. Indigenous people also told pollsters more immediate concerns included inadequate housing, lack of high-speed internet, crime rates, and “a strained relationship with law enforcement.”
Manitoba Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse of the Assembly of First Nations spoke at the United Nations Water Conference in New York, advocating for the rights of First Nations in any action related to water governance. She emphasized the need for intensified action to achieve safe drinking water and sanitation for all Indigenous peoples, which is a fundamental human right.
Manitoba government is investing more than $15.3 million to support three key water and wastewater treatment projects in rural communities, Municipal Relations Minister Andrew Smith announced in Headingley on Monday. The money will go to projects in the Rural Municipalities of Headingley, Macdonald and West St. Paul, near Winnipeg. “Our government is proud to invest in water and wastewater treatment projects which improve the quality of life for local residents,” said Smith in a press release. “By ensuring safe, secure drinking water, these projects also provide environmentally sound wastewater management for our communities. We are pleased to fund these important projects in our capital region to ensure our water management systems are healthy and sustainable for years to come.”
Jennifer Langlois, Liberty's mayor, said the village was lucky the water plant was saved. She said the rink was closed in 2019 because of structural issues and the cost of putting in ice. The village council had been discussing demolishing the building, but hadn't made a final decision. "Just one more thing that went by the wayside in the town." Kyle Mooney, Liberty's fire chief, said firefighters arrived within a couple of minutes of Shields calling, but it was clear the rink was beyond saving. He said crews focused on saving the water treatment plant. "It's a very vital part of our town. If we were to lose that we would have been in big trouble," he said, adding that investigators are trying to determine what caused the fire. Langlois the town's water treatment plant was operational by Sunday.
Communities along the Red River in Manitoba are bracing for another major flood this spring, even as some still have not finished repairing damage from last year's high water event. The Rural Municipality of Montcalm, which surrounds southern Manitoba communities like Letellier and St. Jean Baptiste, still has about $10 million to $15 million worth of repairs left to make, said Reeve Paul Gilmore.
Oneida Nation of the Thames, a First Nation just south of London, Ont., that has been on a boil-water advisory since 2019, has secured $43 million in federal funding to bring treated drinking water to the community. The connection to the Lake Huron Primary Water System will supply potable water to more than 500 homes and public buildings to the community, which is home to nearly 2,200 residents.
Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new water treatment that removes “forever chemicals” from drinking water safely, efficiently – and for good. “Think Brita filter, but a thousand times better,” says UBC chemical and biological engineering professor Dr. Madjid Mohseni, who developed the technology. Forever chemicals, formally known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of substances that make certain products non-stick or stain-resistant. There are more than 4,700 PFAS in use, mostly in raingear, non-stick cookware, stain repellents and firefighting foam. Research links these chemicals to a wide range of health problems including hormonal disruption, cardiovascular disease, developmental delays and cancer.
