November 14, 2006

Dear activists,

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) will be holding its first set of public hearings this year since it announced its intention in October 2006 to purchase the British for-profit water company AWG Plc, also known as Anglian Water.

These public meetings will be held:

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA: November 22, Fort Gary Hotel, Gateway Room, 222 Broadway
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

LONDON, ONTARIO: December 18, Four Points Hotel, Room London B, 1150 Wellington Road South, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

If you live in the vicinity of London or Winnipeg, this is a terrific opportunity to voice your opposition to the CPPIB's $1.05 billion bid for Anglian Water.

If you are interested in attending these meetings please contact us:

ONTARIO-QUEBEC ORGANIZER
Stuart Trew, , toll free 1-800-208-7156

PRAIRIES ORGANIZER
Sheila Muxlow, , toll free 1-877-729-4500

DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING
Brent Patterson, , toll free 1-800-387-7177 ext 291

Numerous Council chapter activists have already responded to our call to send a message similar to the one below to the CPPIB's manager of communications John Cappelletti at jcappelletti:

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Mr. Cappelletti,

As a member of the Council of Canadians, I am opposed to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board's bid to purchase the for-profit British water company Anglian Water.

While Ian Dale of the CPPIB told the Ottawa Citizen that Anglian Water has a "sound environmental track record," in truth it has been fined over half a million pounds during the last six years and it is the only company in the industry to see an increase in major pollution incidents since 2004.

We also know that after Britain's water system was privatized, prices rose by over 50 per cent in the first four years, and the real value of the fees, salaries and bonuses paid to the director's increased between 50 per cent and 200 per cent in most water companies. Even the British newspaper The Daily Mail wrote that, "the water industry has become the biggest rip-off in Britain" and that it is "the greatest act of licensed robbery in our history."

The CPPIB should also recognize that major studies have shown that responsible investing does not affect the performance of our pension funds. As a member of the Council of Canadians, I am deeply concerned by the CPP's investments in weapons-makers, cigarette producers, top air polluters and companies whose activities have been linked to allegations of human-rights abuses, as reported recently by the Ottawa Citizen newspaper.

The CPPIB should not be investing in private water corporations that seek profit over the fundamental right to water. As one of 16 million Canadians that either contribute to or benefit from the Canada Pension Plan, I call on the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to end its bid to invest in for-profit water.

Sincerely,
your name

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What can you expect if you go? As the CPPIB notes on their website, "Our legislation requires that we hold public meetings at least every two years in each of the nine provinces that participate in the Canada Pension Plan. The purpose of these meetings is to present the most recent annual report and to provide the public with the opportunity to ask questions about our policies, operations and future plans. In June 2006, public meetings were held in Halifax, Fredericton, Charlottetown, St. John's, Victoria, Calgary and Regina."

In 2004, a total of 278 Canadians attended the nine public hearings held by the CPPIB. As noted on their website, "The public meetings started with brief remarks by Gail Cook-Bennett, Chairperson, and John MacNaughton, President and CEO. The 20-minuite presentation was followed by questions from the audience. After the formal part of the meeting, CPP Investment Board staff were also available to answer questions from members of the public."

As noted in the sample letter above, these public hearings are a terrific opportunity to say to this body, "The CPPIB should not be investing in private water corporations that seek profit over the fundamental right to water. As one of 16 million Canadians that either contribute to or benefit from the Canada Pension Plan, I call on the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to end its bid to invest in for-profit water."