Why some First Nations reserves don't have clean drinking water

First Nations reserves across Canada struggle to access clean drinking water from their taps. We explain why this problem has persisted and what the Trudeau government is doing about it.

#Elx43 #WaterCrisis

[reynoldvaz]

Making land acknowledgments with no intent to do the right thing.

If it looks like hypocrisy, swims like hypocrisy, and quacks like hypocrisy, then it probably is hypocrisy.

[heathmac]

That last line. "They never thought we would still be here..." Shivers.

[mel]

Some of these comments are disgraceful, and so is the government’s response to the indigenous water crisis.

[Iremembertoforget]

I was in Alberta a few years ago and visited a reserve, this man was carrying well water that was black, I thought it was Coca Cola but it was water. The same man told me he has cancer too. The gov is literally letting them die.😡

[IamINERT]

I live in Jamaica
Why am I watching this?

[mcampbe]

Laws and regulations about potable water are provincial based on federal government research. A water system in Ontario that falls under provincial jurisdiction must comply with a large number of laws & regulation including the Safe Drinking Water Act and regulations 170/03 & 169/03 among many others. First Nations reserves fall under federal regulations which are all but no existent. The previous Conservative government put in place Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act but did not get around to writing regulations; the current government is ignoring it. Most bands are complying with provincial regulations on a voluntary basis including the licensing of operators. Provinces also have a robust oversight mechanisms again lacking in First Nations.
Want First Nations to have the same standards as the rest of us? Put federal property under provincial jurisdiction for water & wastewater.

[clockworkNate]

I live in a relatively big canadian town and still would never drink the disgusting water out of the tap. We all have to split on a filter to actually stomach it, would be even worse if we had to boil it everytime as well. And it's not like things like bottled water or filters are cheap on reservations up north. $$$$

[TheWho]

Most northern Ontario towns dont even safe clean drinking water a trip to the sault or tbay and drinking out of the tap feels like we've truly made it

[megladane]

How about asking why most reserves don't have a water and sewer plant like the rest of Canada? Let's start there.

[elietheprof]

Are these budgets public information?

We the citizens need to look them over and speak out about how they can be improved.

[megladane]

The systemic issue of keeping natives down and out has been as prevalent in Canada as blacks in the US, Keep them drunk, keep them addicted and keep them out of the mainstream. Natives are not allowed to own the land they live on or operate businesses on reserves, worst living conditions in Canada, worst schools, highest drop out rate, highest crime, highest addiction rate, highest abuse rate and the rest of Canada keeps asking why don't natives do better for themselves? How well would you thrive under those conditions?

[caryfrancis]

I'm confused.
I live in a small community of 600 in the Kooteney's.
So our community decided to upgrade our water supply about 10 years ago, we literally had a wooden pipe 5 km long as the "water main" .
So we had a town hall meeting.
Agreed upon a resolution to form a corporation responsible for our community water.
Elected water board members.
Sought government funding.
The corporation borrowed money and built a water purification, and pumping facility and ran new underground lines to every property .
Nobody was allowed to "opt out" of this service, besides digging and servicing your own well, which is way more expensive than the $400 per year, per household.
At least one property was seized by the corporation for non-payment of water services and auctioned off to the highest bidder.
But hey, I have clean water, and our community did it all by ourselves.
So, whats the problem ?

[jasmines.]

what about rainwater roof collectors made from recycled plastic and installing composting toilets?

[Doodlebug]

You should go to a reserve and see how they are running them.. The media doesn't show the whole picture.

[booishoois]

How about we implement a more balanced approach to indigenous? I refuse to call them first nations because that implies they're sovereign nations living within Canada, which has many many legal repercussions Canadians probably don't get. Listen to perspectives other than the extreme left? Both Bernier and Scheer say we need to tackle the drinking water issue. Bernier also says abolish the indian act, and convert the reserves to fee simple, and give indigenous people their freedom at long last. Canada spends $20 billion + per year on indigenous services, and somehow the their problems don't seem to be improving. Time for equality. All Canadians need access to clean water - that will do more for indigenous than just throwing money at them and babying/apologizing forever.

[canadianpatriot]

No one takes for granted drinking water, most pay high taxes for it and monthly bills, and if you live outside the city you pay to have a well dug and treat the water yourself. Anyone can learn to build a system to clean water.

[peterrezba]

So why ? If your community is away from cities and their treatment plants then your going to have to use wells ?

[gregjones]

I thought First Nations were supposed to be Self Governing. Doesn't that include all things that involve governing like clean water?

[gailjohnston]

With all the billions they are given every yr, why cant they figure it out themselves instead of depending on taxpayers again.

[josht]

its funny the chief of six nations reserve has millions of dollars owns grand river tobacco and is suspected of organized crime yet theres "no money to run a water treatment plant" . did the chiefs have private fortunes in the 1800's too?