Reconciling Promises and Reality: Clean Drinking Water for First Nations

When the federal Liberals formed the government in Nov. 2015 they pledged to provide safe drinking water for the First Nations in Canada.  More than 100 communities have gone without safe drinking water for years or even decades.

The David Suzuki Foundation in partnership with the Council for Canadians have been studying the government’s progress in this area.  They first reported their findings in February 2017 in Glass Half Empty? Year 1 Progress towards Resolving Drinking Water Advisories in Nine First Nations in Ontario.  

This first report concluded that although the work to end Drinking Water Advisories (DWA) had begun, the federal government was “not on track to fulfill its commitment made to end long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations across Canada within five years.”

A year later, The David Suzuki Foundation has now published their second annual report, Reconciling Promises and Reality: Clean Water for First Nations which assesses “the government’s progress along a set of 14 indicators, developed from the recommendations in the previous report.” (Davic Suzuki Foundation website).  Since Nov. 2015, 40 Drinking Water Advisories (DWA) have been lifted while 26 have been added.

This report which you can read here, also features stories of First Nations that are showing leadership in the resolution of the drinking water crisis.

In the Atlantic, Canada’s first water authority that is constructed, owned and operated by First Nations is being developed, led by the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat.  This is one of the activities of the First Nations Clean Water Initiative.  This Water Authority will be a legal not-for-profit corporation that will seek to ensure among other things that each community has an equal say in how the water authority is governed.

The new Mobile Water Treatment Pilot Plant on Lytton First Nation

In BC, Lytton First Nation has partnered with universities to design water treatment solutions that fit the communities instead of the government one size fits all approach.  This innovative Community Circle of Trust places the community water treatment operators at the centre so that their experience informs the design.

“ I want to restore the faith in tap water in my
own community first,  and then travel out and
restore the tap water quality in other communities.”
Eric Vautour Water First Internship Program  

In Ontario, “the Water First internship was started last year in partnership with the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising, the Union of Ontario Indians and Wikwemikoong Unceded Indian Reserve” on Manitoulin Island.  The Water First internship is to empower Indigenous youth so that they can play a role in securing clean drinking water for their communities.  Working with water has also connected the youth with their roots and traditional teachings.

In Whitefish River First Nation in Ontario, youth involved in the Water First internship have been working on a First Nations-led source water protection plan that aims at protecting the rivers, lakes and streams around their community.  This is complicated because these water sources can be outside of the First Nation territory and are therefore under the jurisdiction of the province.

In BC, the First Nations Health Authority which is the largest Indigenous-led health authority in Canada is also taking steps to ensure safe drinking water.  The Drinking Water Safety program works with communities to regularly test water and make sure it meet federal and provincial standards.  They are also educating communities so that they can take control over the quality of their water more effectively.

In summary, this second report finds that while some steps are being taken by the federal government, they are still falling short of what is needed if they are to reach their own goals.  In addition, source water protection needs to be addressed.  Preventing the contamination of water before it is treated is the first line of defense as well as being critical to protecting water into the future.  In addition, legislation to set enforceable regulations for safe drinking water in First Nation communities still needs to be passed.

You can read the whole report here.