Toronto Star Article: The Canadian Government Is Discriminating Against The Aboriginal Canadians Not Providing Clean Drinking Water!!

First Nation community of 900 in northern Ontario without clean water

Published On Wed Aug 04 2010

Children of Constance Lake First Nation are eager to swim, but authorities have warned the community the algae is toxic, says Chief Arthur Moore.
Arthur Moore/HO

By Linda Diebel National Affairs Writer

More than a week after the Constance Lake First Nation in northern Ontario declared a state of emergency, more than 900 people in the community remain without clean water.

Constance Lake Chief Arthur Moore demanded urgent action from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to address the crisis of thick, blue-green algae that covers large swathes of the lake. It can’t be filtered through the town’s old water purification plant.

The federal ministry is responsible for water quality on reserves.

“This is so frustrating,” said Moore Wednesday, in a telephone interview from Constance Lake, a Cree and Ojibwa community north of Lake Superior. He says he’s been told informally the algae is toxic and can’t be used for drinking or washing without being boiled. It presents a hygiene risk.

“We have infants, children, elders, a seniors’ home, a high school, and we’re very worried about everybody’s health.”

The community is shipping in bottled water from Hearst, about 50 kilometers west of Constance Lake, as well as boiling, but it’s a short-term fix.

An official with the Indian Affairs ministry told the Toronto Star Wednesday Ottawa has committed funds to trucking in water, as well as supplying bottled water until the problem can be resolved. The official also said provincial entities, including the Ontario Clean Water Agency, are co-operating with technical expertise.

It’s not as if the problem is new. The water purification plant is 35 years old, lacks the capacity to filter the water and does not comply with Ontario regulations, according to Moore.

Moreover, First Nations’ records show 114 aboriginal communities across Canada are under drinking water advisories this summer, and (of these) 49 water systems are classified as “high risk.”

The federal official said Ottawa has committed an undisclosed amount to Constance Lake for the exploration of alternative sources of water, such as well drilling and a mobile water treatment facility. But the official had no comment on solving the algae problem or providing a new, permanent treatment facility.

“Access to a safe and useable water supply is a right of every person living in this country. My community is suffering and I fear the lack of clean water will lead to despair and ill health,” said Moore. “No one should have to live in these kinds of conditions.”

An official with the Ontario ministry of aboriginal affairs said it’s an “unfortunate situation” in Constance Lake, adding Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley telephoned Moore to express concern.

Critics suggest politicians and officials wouldn’t be dawdling – as seems to be the case year after year – if southern, urban centres were without clean water. In some northern communities, notably Kashechewan, children had open sores after an outbreak of E. coli.

“Think about trying to survive with only litres of bottled water a day for all of your drinking bathing, washing and cooking needs,” said Moore. “This water system shutdown will cause economic, social and major health concerns for the community of Constance Lake.”

Moore also stressed that, with the water coated in algae, kids can’t swim during the short summer period of warmer water. When he went to the shoreline to take photos for the Star, a group of children followed him, shouting and laughing because they thought somebody was going to deal with their problem and they could look forward to swimming.

He said that, as he understands the protocol, there are many bureaucratic steps before the federal government can even address the issues at the purification plant, including verifying the problem, finding funds for a new water treatment plant, doing feasibility studies and other time-consuming measures involved.

“We need clean water now,” he said. “Surely, the people here matter now.”

Moore noted the irony of his community declaring a state of emergency on July 28, the same day the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution recognizing water as a basic human right. Several powerful nations, including Canada, abstained.

Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians national chair who fought for the UN resolution, urged all First Nations to start using the resolution in their struggles to get the federal government to honour its commitment to provide clean water to aboriginal peoples.

She said the resolution is non-binding, but that global organizations are working towards stronger legislation that would be binding.

“In the meantime, there’s a strong moral imperative for the government to redress this terrible injustice,” said Barlow, in an interview. “If this were happening in downtown Toronto or Vancouver, you can be sure the government would be using all the power it has to fix the problem and provide safe drinking water.

First nations are very vulnerable. It’s an outrage.”