Water, water, everywhere - just not for our neighbours?
Most of us don’t have to think twice about our drinking water. When we do picture people living without access to clean drinking water, most of us would imagine far off places, in countries deemed part of the so-called Third World. We draw to mind the volunteers who raise money for wells in Africa for example. Yet the truth is that this most basic right also still eludes many First Nation communities here in Canada. According to Health Canada’s own website, there are “133 Drinking Water Advisories in effect in 89 First Nation communities across Canada, excluding British Columbia.” For such a wealthy nation with such an abundance of fresh water, these figures are beyond shameful.
Human Rights Watch, one of the oldest human rights organizations, has also recently brought Canada to task, by releasing a report which demonstrates the extent of the situation and acknowledges the harsh conditions our neighbours are living in because our government is not fulfilling their obligations to secure clean water for all of us.
In attempt to get the attention of the media, and to pressure the Ontario government into action, activists from Grassy Narrows marched on Queens Park. The Grassy Narrows community in particular has been dealing with waterways polluted with toxic mercury for years. The Provincial government has known about the contamination for over 40 years, yet little has been done to clean up the mess. Community members were initially told the river would clean itself - when it didn’t, the government refused to take responsibility. Now, not long after making an apology to the Indigenous peoples of Ontario for the horrors faced in residential schools, Premier Wynne is refusing to take the action needed to provide safe water to those same communities. By the time the prostates had arrived at Queens Parks, Premier Wynn had not even bothered to read the report (paid for by Ontario) on the issue. Like Harper and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, it just doesn’t seem to be on her radar. It doesn’t seem to be on ours yet either.
Fair too little attention has been afforded to this issue by our media. As a result, most of us are understandably ignorant to the situation, which leaves these relatively small communities to petition various levels of government on their own. But why has our media failed to bring this to light? They often relish in pointing out the inadequacies of government.
Do we all remember the response to the Walkerton water crisis? How authorities mobilized, launched investigations, and pressed charges when the water of a predominantly white community had been poisoned by incompetence and neglect. Where is this same sense of urgency for the people of Grassy Narrows and the 89 other communities under almost perpetual boil water advisories? The double standard seen in our media goes hand in hand with the two-tiered sense of responsible our governments have demonstrated. The drinking water of off-reserve Canadians are protected by heavy regulations, while those living on reserve have nothing to ensure they are not being poisoned by one of life’s key essentials.
Let us not kid ourselves; this is colonialism continued.
No one can survive without water. For this reason alone, water must be considered one of the most basic human rights. And we as a collective are denying that right to countless First Nation families. These communities cannot wait any longer. The studies have been done - we have the capability to do what is right. We need our elected officials to immediately take concrete steps towards providing clean drinking water to all Canadians.
But, like all human rights issues, our governments will rarely act without the vocal support of a substantial amount of people. So, please - call, tweet, write to your MPP (if you live in Ontario), and/or your federal MP and tell them the time for action is now. Share this with others - people need to know before they can act.
Let us all say together that we will not allow our neighbours to be denied something so important, and something that is so abundant, especially here in Canada.
