In Canada, in the year 2021, there are still many indigenous reserves that do not have potable water. That is why the Canadian government announced this Wednesday the launch of a website through which the progress of the boil water warnings will be measured.
In your election campaign, current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that all Long-term warnings that prevent these communities from drinking tap water would be eliminated by March 31, 2021, a goal that was not and will not be reached.
Now, just days before that date is due, the government says it has a new strategy whose progress, this time, will not have a deadline. The idea is that Indigenous Services of Canada take a bigger role in helping communities to choose the contractors that provide the service.
The minister Marc Miller, in charge of Indigenous Services, gave a press conference this Wednesday explaining that the First Nations residents living with warnings to boil water for long periods they want have information about the plans and what is happening in similar communities.
It is worth noting at this point that the new website was developed by the Indigenous firm Animikii.
“Today’s effort is for Canadians to see what I see and to give everyone as much information as possible, as well as the status of each community, the work that has been done and the commitment of this government to carry it out, ”said Miller.
Since that promise, made in 2015, 101 advisories have been lifted, but 60 were still in effect in 41 First Nations communities as of last November..
In a report, published at the end of February, the Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan said she was “very concerned and honestly very discouraged because of this long-term problem that has not yet been solved. Having access to safe drinking water is a basic human need. I don’t think anyone can say that this is an acceptable situation in Canada in 2021 ”.
Although with the measure announced today the government does not want to set new deadlines, Indigenous Services of Canada said which expects most of the warnings that are active to be lifted by the end of this year, although he acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the necessary constructions in certain communitiesespecially in those located in remote areas that depend on supplies.
The Minister of Indigenous Services of Canada, Marc Miller, assured that the government remains committed to this new strategy. Although he did not put a new deadline on the plan, he said he hopes that by the end of 2021 all warnings of boiling water in indigenous communities will be lifted. Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS / Adrian Wyld
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Two fewer warnings
This Wednesday, the Canadian government announced through a press release that two indigenous communities, the Anishinabe de Wauzhushk Onigum , in Ontario and the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation of British Columbia, they raised their warnings to boil the water, which will allow your residents finally have access to clean water. These are the 100 and 101 warnings that have been raised from 2015 to date.
Anishinabe of Wauzhushk Onigum has lifted a long-term drinking water advisory; the 100th since 2015, and Xeni Gwet’in #FirstNations Gov’t has lifted an advisory, restoring clean water to 8 homes in their community. Congratulations! https://t.co/zoNb8JrQ7H pic.twitter.com/gQYghdRnGZ
– Minister Marc Miller (@Min_IndServ) March 10, 2021
In Anishinaabe of Wauzhushk Onigum, the warning was in effect since 2012While in the British Columbia First Nation it was raised in the fall of 2020.
Chris Skead, Anishinabe chief of Wauzhushk Onigum, reiterated that “the safe drinking water is a basic human right, and my council and my community are grateful to Indian Services Canada and the people who worked with us to find, finance and implement the infrastructure investments that have enabled us to achieve this important result for the health and well-being of our community. “
“Our government is committed to ensuring that all long-term water warnings are removed in First Nations communities. This work is not only about improving community infrastructure to make water drinkable, but also restoring confidence in the water supply and ensuring that future generations do not have to face the same challenges. Today we mark important milestones in this progress: Long-term Drinking Water Warnings 100 and 101 are removed. However, we recognize that there is still work to be done and we will not stop until all the work is done.Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services of Canada
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Is not sufficient
The ads have already received criticism from the opposition in the Canadian Parliament. The parliamentarian conservative Gary Vidal, reminded the liberals that they did not meet their own deadline, assuring that “today’s announcement is a recognition that the lack of a liberal government plan is the reason for another unfulfilled promise: a website is neither a strategy nor a solution ”.
For his part, the parliamentarian of the New Democratic Party, Charlie Angus, criticized that a deadline has not been established to lift all notices to boil water. “There is no timetable because they are not going to do this and they know it. We need a timeline and a commitment to each community to say what is needed and how we will do it”.
Actual state
According to the information that the government gave this Wednesday:
- The First Nations located in Ontario have raised 42 notices boiling water since November 2015. 44 are still in force in 26 communities.
- First Nations located in British Columbia they have raised 18 notices. Two notices are still in effect.
- Since 2016, the Government of Canada has disbursed more than $ 3.5 billion to First Nations to build and repair water and wastewater infrastructure and support the effective management and maintenance of water systems in reservoirs.
- In December 2020, the Government of Canada announced nearly $ 1.5 billion in funding to help meet the commitmento providing clean drinking water to First Nations communities, and $ 114.1 million for the current year to increase support for daily operations and maintenance of the water and wastewater infrastructure in the reserves.
In her February report, the auditor general recommended that the government work directly with First Nations to proactively identify and managing deficiencies in the water system, with a special focus on long-term solutions that avoid recurring problems.
Another recommendation that the auditor made was that the government commit to giving sufficient financing for infrastructure operations and maintenance, as well as passing laws that include legal protections comparable to those that exist in other communities in Canada.
For Hogan, until these types of solutions are activated, First Nations communities will continue to experience challenges in accessing safe water.
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