The government must pay millionaire compensation, a historic sentence establishes after two years of judicial clashes
In an ideal world, the problem of drinking water supply in some areas of Canada should be non-existent: we are talking about a territory characterized by over 31 thousand lakes with a surface area of over 3 km², one of the countries with the greatest water availability in the world. in relation to the inhabitants.
Yet the problem exists, in particular for the First Nations tribes, despite the promises of the various governments that have followed one another since the 80s. Some of the restrictions imposed, according to the data reported on the government website, date back to 2003 and over time have affected the regions of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec, especially the more remote areas where natives are settled and where the adequate infrastructure. Whole tribes have been forced to for years boil water before using it, also due to the high traces of uranium. This has not stopped the possibility of contracting intestinal infections, skin infections, pneumonia.
In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Troudeau addressed the issue while campaigning for his election and promised to resolve the situation by March 2021. A document released by Canada's General Verification Office in February 2021 confirmed the bankruptcy of these predictions: "safe drinking water is vital for the health of all, including the approximately 330.000 people who live in more than 600 First Nations communities" but despite the recorded economic efforts, support and assistance needed by First Nations communities. Water hazard warnings have remained so for over 10 years.
The report then underlines two other fundamental points: there is still no clear legislative framework to manage and regulate the situation; only collaboration between Indigenous Services Canada and the populations involved can simplify the adoption of sustainable solutions. The executive has openly admitted the impossibility of achieving the objectives set.
The affected communities, however, have decided to act: in 2019, two class actions were initiated, reaching both the Federal Court of Canada and the Queen's Bench Court of Manitoba. In December 2021 a common agreement was found for both actions: a compensation from the government of over 5 million euros in favor of the populations involved, the guarantee of the construction of the necessary infrastructures, the modernization of sector legislation.
The persistence of the situation has led to the emergence of young activists who, thanks also to the network, denounce the slowness and fatigue of those who would just like to be able to drink a glass of water at home. The video shared by water activist Autumn Peltier, also addressed to the Canadian premier, makes the situation understand more than a thousand words: brown water gushes from the kitchen tap and so it is impossible even to cook or wash.
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One of the commercial consequences of this situation is the growing diffusion of bottled water. If this choice is almost an obligation for communities like that of the Neskantaga, which have been “living” like this since 1995, the same cannot be said for the rest of the population. As reported by the independent Water Grabbing observatory, the water in the Ontario region, which should be used by the First Nations, is instead collected by individuals operating in the sector such as Nestlé. A phenomenon that is progressively increasing.
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Sources: Canadian Government; General Verification Office of Canada; Water Grabbing
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